Kenya National Drought Early Warning Bulletin – October 2022

The latest report from Kenya’s National Drought Management Agency shows a worsening drought situation in the country. To gauge drought severity, the agency uses four categories; normal, alert, alarm, and emergency. Currently 11 counties are in alarm status, including Marsabit where Amuka operates. The drought comes as a result of four successive failed rain seasons.

The effects of drought are severe and wide reaching. In October the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance stood at 4.35 million, with significant numbers of acute malnutrition also being recorded: 942,000 cases amongst children between 6 months and 5 years old, and 134,000 cases in pregnant or lactating women.

The rural communities Amuka works with typically rely on subsistence farming, so have been heavily impacted by current drought and related food shortage. According to the drought report, the county of Marsabit where Amuka operates is currently experiencing severe vegetation deficit, poor pasture conditions, cattle in poor physical conditions, below long-term-average milk production, and above long-term-average distance to water source, amongst other worsening measures.

We are in urgent need of donations to continue supporting these communities. You can help on the ‘make a donation’ button.