Drought kills 3 people and 38 elephants

From The Standard
August 14, 2009



Three people have died due to lack of food even as United Nations said 38 others have lost their lives in conflicts triggered by contests over food and water.

But local aid agencies said twice as many could have succumbed in fighting over pasture or food.

The confirmed hunger-related deaths took place in Mogotio in the Central Rift in a week President Kibaki chaired a special Cabinet meeting that rolled out a raft of measures to mitigate the biting famine.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga told Parliament he and Kibaki would next week send out a Sh24 billion global food appeal.

A health official in Mogotio where the three deaths were confirmed said the figure could be higher as some areas are being compelled by Government officials to indicate the deaths were caused by normal disease.

But climate change has not affected humans only; 38 elephants in Laikipia and Samburu have died from severe malnutrition, prompting Kenya Wildlife Service to water and feed wildlife to keep them alive.

Unicef nutrition surveys indicate level of acute malnutrition among people is critical in Turkana, Mandera, Marsabit/Laisamis and Samburu. The rate of acute malnutrition in these areas is above 20 per cent. This means one child out of five is exposed to high risk of death.

"Pastoralists have been clustering around few areas in search of pasture. Increased cases of conflict over scarce resources and rapid deterioration of resources have been reported in Turkana and parts of West Pokot since June," the report said.

Isiolo District has experienced inter-community conflicts in Gambela, where two communities clashed over water. Eight people died; over 1,700 families were displaced, and about 1,000 livestock were driven away.

Crop failure

The larger Meru is experiencing food shortage due to poor harvest. Although no incidents of conflict, conflicts in Gambela in Isiolo District, partly affected Tigania East.

Despite cool weather in Moyale, the area is arid. Livestock, which had moved towards Ethiopia in April, have not returned. The herd of 200,000 animals is said to be the largest migration in 10 years.

Njoro, known for rich maize and wheat harvests, crop failure has resulted in residents adopting new ways of coping. They are gathering wild fruit and harvesting immature crops in Mau Forest, about 20km away.

The situation continues to worsen in Tana River, with environmental conditions deteriorating. The coastal areas of Kipini and Tarasaa received some erratic and below normal showers. Northern parts of Galole, Bura, Madogo and Bangale reported poor rainfall. In Kajiado the most affected divisions are Ewaso, Central, Magadi and Mashuru. The condition in pastoral areas of Kimana, Lenkisim, Mbirikani, Rombo and Lower Kuku in Loitoktok is worsening.

In Kwale District, which is rated alarming, there are fears livestock migration from neighboring districts would contribute to the spread of livestock diseases. High concentration of livestock in Kurzane and Nyango is resulting in depletion of resources. Human-wildlife conflict, involving elephants, was reported in Kubo, Matuga, Mtaa and Gulzane. Crops were destroyed.

Alun McDonald, Oxfam’s regional communications officer, says the drought is getting severe.

He says many people have taken their cattle across the border into Ethiopia and conflict-torn Somalia, in a search for water and pasture.

The market price for livestock, on the other hand, falls lower by the day. But people are still forced to sell either out of fear that their animals will soon die and be worth nothing, or to sacrifice them for the sake of the rest.

The Kenya Food Security Network warns of substantial crop failure. In the south-eastern and coastal marginal cropping lowlands is expected to lead to deepening food insecurity. Most parts of the eastern and northern pastoral districts have experienced yet another poor season, and food security is likely to accentuate through October.

The food pipeline remains under-resourced at this point, as do non-food interventions, all intended to alleviate and mitigate growing food insecurity.

The situation in game parks and reserves is not any better. This means things could get worse before they get better in light of rising food prices and looming low grain harvest following inadequate rains.

Resource-based conflicts

Coming at a time the Government is trying to mobilise resources and provide people who have nothing to eat, the conflicts will compound the challenges ahead.

The United Nations Office in Charge of Humanitarian Affairs indicated in their latest bulletin that 28 people have died in resource-based conflicts in five districts.

But the Kenya Red Cross Society communications officer Titus Mung’ou, told The Standard on Thursday that close to 50 people may have died in the last eight months, following escalating skirmishes, mostly related to competition over resources.

— Additional reporting by Job Weru

Strip the forests, destroy pastures by overgrazing on an insane scale, move into game preserves to rape that habitat, then kill each other due to conflict that you have caused. All in the sake of growing your herds of cattle and goats despite your inability to feed and water them. A prime example of the African mentality at work.
I see first hand every year the devastation these people wreak upon themselves, they deserve the misery they are reaping. Cattle, and the mindless pursuit of larger herds are the speeding locomotive that is going to cause the end of wildlife in Africa. These people are incapable of considering the future.

Dave I agree in part with your opinion,a lbeit anedotal in terms of the motivations. Theres is much truth in your assesment nonetheless.

However bigger houses, more cars, more possesions, more consumer power etc etc etc is simply the western civilized manifestation of what you talk about. Of course the degradation in the former is localized and easy to see while the problems of the civilized version are spread across the process of production.