Nanok urges national government, NGOs to donate relief food as drought hits Turkana

Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok has urged the national government and humanitarian organisations to supply relief food to mitigate the effects of drought.

A report by the National Drought Management Agency (NDMA) shows most parts of Turkana county are experiencing drought.

National Drought Management Agency’s had early Warned of possible drought in the report of January 2019 and could affect more people.

Nanok said the county government, under the first relief cycle for this financial year, has bought 36,000 50kg bags of maize, 10,000 50kg bags of beans and 10,000 20 litre jerrycans of cooking oil.

"The distribution of this consignment began last week on February 28 and is expected to reach the targeted 84,923 households in over 665 Food Distribution Points (FDPs)," he said.

The hardest hit areas include Kaeris, Kaaleng’/Kaikor, Lapur and Upper Lake Zone in Turkana North; Kibish; Naanam, Songot, Letea and Lopur in Turkana West; Kerio Delta and upper Kalokol in Turkana Central; Lobei/Kotaruk and Turkwel in Loima; Lobokat, Kalapata and Upper Lokichar in Turkana South and Kapedo, Lokori/Kochodin and Katilia in Turkana East.

Nanok said the county has dispatched disaster preparedness officers and ward administrators to the regions to oversee the relief food distribution and report on the situation.

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