By Jibril Muchiri
More than 10, 000 hunger-stricken families in Wajir have benefited from food donation by Covid-19 Emergency response fund.
The food supplies of maize flour, rice, beans, sugar and cooking oil are meant to cushion the households reeling from the biting effects of drought that has rendered more than 2.5 million Kenyans in 23 counties food insecure.
The program, being implemented by the Star of Hope Association, targets a total of 40, 000 households in Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties which are among those hard-hit by drought and which previously battled desert locust invasion as well as Covid-19 pandemic.
The ongoing drought has resulted to drying of water sources and depletion of pastures threatening pastoralism which is the region’s economic mainstay.
Soha Adminstrator Ahmed Sett said each family will get five kilos of rice and maize flour, three kilos of beans, two kilograms of sugar and one kilo of cooking oil.
“The donations are meant to cushion the families against the harsh economic effects of drought,” Mr Sett, who was accompanied by Wajir East Deputy County Commissioner Omar Beja, said.
The DCC reiterated government’s commitment to cushioning Kenyans against hunger saying a cash transfer program to replace relief food had already been launched.
“The government is committed to ensure no Kenyan dies from hunger,” he said.
