Donors meet with UN Agencies to discuss drought situation

NAIROBI, Wednesday, 7 March 2001
Representatives of the major donor governments met with Heads of UN Agencies, Wednesday 7 March, to discuss the humanitarian needs arising from the ongoing drought in Kenya.

The meeting, today, brought together in one forum, all the UN Agencies who are requesting funds in the Donor Alert. The United Nations, together with the Government of Kenya, has elaborated an appeal that aims to alleviate the suffering of over 4 million people in twenty two districts. The UN is requesting a total of US$ 122,650,146.

Kenya is experiencing the worst drought in sixty years. The failure of the short rains in November and December exacerbated the effects of four successive droughts in two years. The recent unseasonable rainfall, torrential in some areas, has not reached the areas that needed it most - the arid and semi arid lands which make up a significant part of the country.

The most affected are the people living in these areas. Significant numbers of nomadic people have been driven to near destitution as their animals have died due to lack of pasture. The lack of rain has also meant poor harvests for farmers. Traditional ways of coping with the difficult conditions are now exhausted and many are now dependent on food aid and other assistance. The evident manifestations of the drought are declining school attendance rates and high malnutrition rates in several districts. In short, emergency assistance is still required by many people.

In June 2000, UN Agencies in Kenya, launched an Emergency Appeal for $146 million as part of the Regional Appeal for the Drought in the Horn of Africa. The donor response was most generous and 83% of the total requirements for Kenya were met, although serious shortfalls in terms of logistics and common services, such as security, meant that access to some marginal areas was seriously hampered. The challenge of this second appeal is to secure fresh funding not only for direct emergency operations but to build a foundation for recovery.

Kenya is a drought prone country and in addition to immediate humanitarian assistance the funds raised in the Appeal will be used to ensure sustainable recovery and strengthen and support early warning mechanisms for drought and other natural disasters.

For further details contact:

Tracy Vaughan, UNOCHA Kenya
TEL: 254 2 622119
E-MAIL: tracy@ocha.unon.org

The Appeal can be viewed on the web: www.reliefweb.int/