Attachments
NAIROBI, KENYA – A coalition of humanitarian organizations working in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) is urgently appealing for KES 24 billion to respond to the rapidly escalating drought crisis in the ASAL counties .
The coalition, led by Action Against Hunger and comprising local partners working across the ASAL Counties, including Catholic Diocese of Lodwar (DoL), Merti Integrated Development Programme (MIDP), Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD), Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA), Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA) and Worthy Vision, warns that 3.3 million people in ASAL counties are facing acute food insecurity, with the crisis projected to escalate to 3.6 million by June 2026 if no urgent lifesaving actions are undertaken.
"Without an immediate scale-up of resources, the crisis will deepen, placing thousands of lives at risk of preventable death.” Notes Dancliff Mbura, Advocacy, Communication, and Partnership Coordinator at Action Against Hunger Kenya.
A Crisis of Unprecedented Scale
The current drought is among the driest recorded since 1981, with the October–December 2025 short rains delivering only 30–60% of the long-term average. This crisis comes at a time when the region was still recovering from the 2021–2022 drought, during which five consecutive rainy seasons failed.
Today, four counties—Mandera, Wajir, Kwale, and Kilifi—have been classified in Alarm Phase, indicating critical conditions. Twelve other counties—Baringo, Tana River, Kajiado, Kitui, Lamu, Samburu, Laikipia, Narok, Turkana, Isiolo, Marsabit, and Garissa, remain in the Alert Phase, a worsening trajectory.
Staggering Nutrition and Health Risks
The humanitarian impact is most severe, especially among the most vulnerable population:
• Malnutrition: Over 810,000 children (aged 6–59 months) and nearly 117,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers require urgent assistance & treatment for acute malnutrition.
• Critical Gaps: Despite the overwhelming need, approximately 50% of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases remain untreated due to severe underfunding.
• Water Scarcity: Up to 90% of open water sources have dried up. Families travel an average of 20 km to find water, leading to a rise in diarrheal diseases and further compromising nutritional health.
Economic Devastation and Livestock Loss
Livestock, the backbone of the ASAL economy, are dying in record numbers. Marsabit alone has recorded over 50,000 deaths of sheep and goats, while Mandera has lost nearly 30,000 animals to starvation and disease. Milk production has plummeted by 55%, depriving families of a primary food source and more than doubling milk prices in critical areas.
CALL TO ACTION:
We are calling on the national government, ASAL county governments, development partners, and the private sector to provide resources and undertake immediate lifesaving interventions to prevent malnutrition, protect livelihoods, and prevent deaths. We demand immediate multisectoral action to scale up malnutrition screening and life-saving treatment, restore integrated health outreach services to hardto-reach areas, expand emergency water provision, and strengthen cash-based social protection to stabilize household food access.