Kenya has encountered 40 years of severe drought and more than 4 million people facing food shortages

Xinhua News Agency, Nairobi, September 4th (Reporter Liu Chang) The scorching sun is empty, and Kenya herdsmen Laoutong sat in the shade of the tree, looking helplessly at the two cows that were eating dead branches, waiting for their death. Because of his weakness, the two cows were unable to move forward on the way to drinking water, and Lokukitong himself had not eaten for 3 days.

The Massabitian County, where Laocoma is located is one of the worst droughts in Kenya. According to data from the Kenya National Drought Administration, Masabit has half of the population (about 220,000 people), and there is a shortage of food, while more than 4 million people are facing grain safety issues nationwide.

Difficulty in people's living

In northern Kenya where Massabit County is located, most residents live in grazing, and droughts lead to a large number of livestock deaths, and they are difficult to maintain their livelihood.

A large drinking water point in the Lyzamis area of ​​the county is a source of water from about 1,000 herdsmen and tens of thousands of livestock in the region. A large number of cattle and herds rushed here from all parties, and herders kept using sticks to drive livestock to maintain order.

"We have 70 cows before, and have been dead 50. We have gone here for three days." A herdsman told reporters. In order to survive the livestock, the herdsmen trek their long distances and the wind meals to find shepherds, and they have to return to drinking water every 3 to 5 days.

On August 27, a group of cattle drink water in Laisamis, Masabit County, Kenya, Kenya. Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui

Droughts also led to the harvest of food apology or even harvest. The Kenya Food Safety Guidance Group evaluated in July that the corn harvest of some agricultural regions in southeast Kenya may be nearly 80%compared with the average level of the past five years.

In addition, under the influence of multiple factors such as socio -economic instability, Ukraine crisis, and new crown epidemic, Kenya is experiencing a sharp rise in prices, and the rise in high staple food prices has further weakened family purchasing power.

According to recent data from the Kenyan National Drought Administration, due to the fact that the expected precipitation in the past two years did not harvest the expected precipitation, Kenya currently has about 4.1 million people facing grain safety issues; It is still lower than the average level, and the number of Kenya will be increased to 4.35 million.

Children's situation is bad

Adan Mumbru is the principal of Slapani Primary School in Masabit County. At present, the school's attendance rate is less than 50%. He said that most students need to walk at least 5 kilometers in school, which is not easy for children who do not eat belly.

A student of a student at the school, Ensimotin Huo Yang, told reporters that most of the children in the village ate a meal a day. Although her son wanted to go to school every day, her journey to and from 10 kilometers made her worry: "The school does not provide it Food, sometimes I did n’t eat at home, I could only ask his neighbors to bring him with some porridge. "

"The impact of drought on children's education is very great, especially for some girls, they have to help their mother go to the water to take water a few kilometers away." Luo said.

On August 26, the children attended the school in the town of Lesamis, Masabit, Kenya, were attending school. Affected by drought, half of the schools could not go to school. Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui

The Kenyan government provides food assistance to the 183 schools of Masabit through the National Drought Administration, and subsidizes $ 55 per family cash per month every two months. However, for some poor families, these rescue is far less than reversing the constraints. According to the recent statistics of the bureau, Kenya's acute malnutrition cases caused by drought in Kenya reached nearly 900,000 cases.

Drought sweeping African horns

According to a statement recently issued by the East African Government Development Organization, the rainy season from October to December this year is expected to not have a sufficient amount of precipitation in the rainy season from October to December this year, which means that the precipitation in 5 consecutive rainy season is insufficient.

For some regions that have been trapped in poverty, the disaster caused by drought is undoubtedly worse. The United Nations Children's Foundation said recently that more than 20 million people face serious grain safety issues in Somalia, northern Kenya, and southern Ethiopia, including 10 million children.

On August 26, a child stood in a drought village in Lezamis, Masabit, Kenya. Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui

According to the United Nations Children's Foundation, the horns of Africa are encountered the worst drought in 40 years. Droughts have caused crops to apologize or even harvest and a large number of livestock death

Produced by Xinhua News Agency International Department

Produced by Xinhua News Agency International Communication integration platform

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