20 October 2011
The Horn of Africa has this year seen a devastating drought, the worst in some areas for 60 years. More than 13 million people are in desperate need of food, water and emergency healthcare.
In the arid lands of Turkana in northern Kenya – an area badly affected by the drought – cases of severe malnutrition have risen fourfold since January. Failed rains mean loss of livestock which many people in the area depend on for food and income.
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Lifesaving treatment
A paediatric ward in the small town of Lodwar is currently treating under fives for complicated acute malnutrition. It has been refurbished with British support, working with UNICEF and the medical charity Merlin.
Naomi Nakorudi travelled more than 300km to reach this hospital to have her 10 month old daughter Kinyonga treated for malnutrition and pneumonia. It takes about six days to stabilise a child in Kinyonga's condition.
"When I was referred here I was given treatment. I was given blood and food," says Naomi. "Before admission my child couldn't eat but now if she sees someone else eating she will eat. I am pleased that my child is doing so well."
Doctor Okemwa works at the hospital and has seen hundreds of cases like this. "If these children do not have a chance of coming to this stabilisation centre in this hospital, they're going to die," he says. "Most probably they die, they succomb from the complications of malnutrition, especially pulmonary infections and diarrhoea."
"These are the fortunate ones who have been able to come here," he continues. "We are able to save their lives because we are able to act quickly, give them fluids, give them food, give them antibiotics, folic acid and vitamins."
Since the start of the crisis, the UK has led the response, providing lifesaving supplies to those in need and laying the groundwork to help avoid crisis in the future.
"Well it's a desperate situation with an enormous number of lives, especially children, at very great risk," says International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell.
"Britain has been in the lead in helping stop this by ensuring there is food and medicine and water to help. But it's going to get worse before it gets better, and we've got to do everything we can to ensure this doesn't happen again in the future, as well as helping those who are at great risk today in the Horn of Africa."
Helping people to help themselves
A programme which has been running here since 2008 is reaching 60,000 households with small monthly cash transfers to help the vulnerable in times of crisis. Funded by UK aid and implemented by Oxfam, the innovative Hunger Safety Net Programme uses a smart card system to enrol those in need, even in very rural, hard to reach areas.
Fingerprints form a unique pin code which ensures that entitlements go to the right person.
To start with, people use the money to buy basic provisions such as sugar and beans. After that, families invest in livestock, small businesses or education.
Wilson, a blind carpenter from Lodwar, invested his cash transfer in a set of tools which means he can now make products such as money boxes to sell at market.
Margaret lives in the remote village of Kataboi near the salt desert Lake Turkana. Many residents here rely on the land and live in traditional Turkana thatched housing made from grass and brush wood.
"Everything here depends on rain," she explains. "Water is life. Without water there is no productivity in livestock.
"Nothing can grow. We have nothing for making baskets. And even the lake. Without water going to the lake, there are no fish. So that has affected us at large.
"The first cycle I received [from the Hunger Safety Net Programme], I took my child to school. She went to a secondary school in Kakuma," she says.
"I have four kids who are going to school."
"It benefits those children because they'll be self-reliant," she says. "And in my old age, I know that there will be somebody who I can lean on."
In the months ahead, work will continue in Kenya to help people recover from this catastrophe and build resilience to future droughts.