Attachments
Background/Risk
In Kenya, the frequency and severity of shocks and stresses that negatively impact livelihoods and well-being are anticipated to increase, leaving limited recovery periods and severely impacting the poor and vulnerable. Seventy percent of disasters in Kenya are climate-related, including drought and floods. Other shocks and stresses are also common, including political unrest and disease outbreaks.
Drought accounts for an 8 percent loss of gross domestic product (GDP) every five years, while floods account for 5.5 percent every seven years.1,2 The COVID-19 pandemic and climate-induced desert locust invasion in most arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) counties have worsened Kenya’s ability to support vulnerable communities.
Frequent, human-induced disasters, such as civil and ethnic resource-based conflicts, terrorism, and violent extremism compound the situation.
Since 2013, USAID has invested over $400 million in development and humanitarian assistance in the ASALs.
This support to the Government of Kenya (GOK), the National Drought Management Authority, and the local communities has led to significant progress in strengthening institutions, systems, and community capacity to address shocks. This support saved lives that would have been lost due to disasters; secured livelihoods, resources, and other assets; and ensured better preparedness and mitigation against disasters. Despite the investment, humanitarian needs in Kenya’s ASALs continue to require support due to the persistent and increasing disasters affecting the country and on-going inefficiencies in local response systems.