Over 46,800 Students In Isiolo Face starvation – NDMA Report.
Drought has affected 46,800 students in Isiolo County, forcing them to eat only one meal per day.
According to a drought assessment report released by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), drought has affected 9,098 Early Child Development (ECD) learners, 30,579 primary school pupils, and 7,130 secondary students since the World Food Programme (WFP) suspended the school feeding program.
NDMA Information and Data Officer Alex Murithi told the County Steering Group (CSG) chaired by County Executive Committee member for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Dr Lawrence Mwongera that students were skipping meals due to poor food security in the area due to rain failure.
Murithi stated that 60% of water sources near the schools had dried up, forcing students to travel long distances to fetch water, disrupting their class time.
According to the Data Officer, the majority of them only eat one meal per day because their parents are unable to provide two meals per day in accordance with World Health Organization standards.
He went on to say that Isiolo County has 21,000 people on the cash transfer program and that 120,600 people are in need of relief food for the next four months when the long rains are expected in March and May.
The CSG members noted that the number of street beggars in Isiolo town had increased drastically and that the issue should be addressed by the appropriate authorities, as the majority of the beggars are from the neighbouring counties.
The meeting also heard that an influx of livestock from Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit, Wajir, and Garissa was causing conflict in the county’s Oldonyiro, Charri, Sericho, and Burat Wards, where herders had converged in search of pasture and water.
The members in attendance challenged the veterinary department to prohibit the transportation of livestock to Isiolo unless the animals were to be slaughtered locally.
According to Mr. Wako Ture, the Livestock Marketing System Program Officer, the influx of animals is the result of a drought in neighbouring Ethiopia, and middlemen are buying large herds of cattle at the expense of local market players.
Ture stated that buying livestock from outside is usually cheaper, and those buying them look for good grazing areas where they can fatten the animals quickly, fueling conflicts with the residents.
The members directed the county executive who was chairing the meeting to refrain from issuing trade permits to livestock owners from other counties because it was causing unhealthy competition.
Over 46,800 Students In Isiolo Face starvation – NDMA Report