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Current People in Need6.4 million
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Current People Targeted4.3 million
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Current Requirements (US$)$451.8 million
Analysis of the context, crisis and needs
Kenya is facing an unprecedented drought due to five—and potentially six—consecutive below average rainy seasons. At the end of 2022, an estimated 4.4 million people are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 1.2 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and at least 2.5 million livestock have died due to the drought. This is the highest level of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country, surpassing the 3.7 million people in IPC Phase 3+ during the 2011 drought and 3.4 million in 2017. More than 4.1 million people cannot access enough water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, with women and girls having to choose between using water for cooking and their own personal menstrual hygiene. About 884,500 children are facing acute malnutrition (including 222,700 who are severely malnourished) and three out of ten sub-counties surveyed (Turkana North, Turkana South and Marsabit North Horr) in June and July had global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates nearly, or more than, twice the emergency threshold, while a further six had GAM rates above the emergency threshold. The drought has also exacerbated the risk of communicable diseases—including cholera and measles—heightening the risk of death, especially for malnourished children and women.
Garissa, Kenya
Students learn literature at Shatabaq Secondary School. The school has 124 boys and 61 girls. Around 35 students have dropped out as they were unable to pay school fees.
OCHA/Jane KiiruThe worsening drought is exacerbating insecurity and resource-based conflicts in many drought-affected counties, which have led to injuries, loss of lives and stock thefts in Baringo, Nyeri, Meru, Lamu, Mandera, Turkana and Marsabit counties. The drought has also significantly heightened protection risks for women and children. Many women have sacrificed their own wellbeing and nutrition to care for their families. Girls have been pulled out of school for early marriage, and families have been separated as men and boys seek forage and food for livestock. More than 54,500 children in 17 drought-affected counties are at risk of dropping out of school unless urgent measures are taken to provide them with sufficient food and water. Older people—especially in pastoralist communities—are also facing unique consequences due to the drought, as younger and more able-bodied adults have travelled further afield in search of forage and food or migrated to urban areas in search of work.
The devastating drought is unfolding at a time when people in the ASAL region are still struggling to recover from multiple recent shocks—including the desert locust outbreak of 2019-2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as facing price rises in food and fuel due to the war in Ukraine.
Local networks provide vital expertise
A vibrant network of locally led organizations is at the core of drought response in Kenya. These organizations work with and come from the most-affected communities. The Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Humanitarian Network (AHN) was established in March 2019. Its 30 members—including women-led organizations—operate in 10 of the most vulnerable ASAL counties and bring expertise ranging from cash programming and WASH to women’s rights and community mobilization.
In partnership with local and international actors, AHN is actively implementing drought-response initiatives. Since August 2021, its members have provided cash transfers to about 26,400 households to fight food insecurity and save livelihoods. The transfers reach households fast and give them the autonomy to make their own decisions on how to use the money.
AHN members are also safeguarding access to clean and safe water, proper sanitation and effective hygiene for local communities. This includes rehabilitating and solarizing boreholes, and providing essential hygiene items and dignity kits for healthy menstrual management among women and girls. To address the increased risks of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) due to the drought, and under the leadership of AHN’s women’s rights organizations, people at risk of GBV receive legal and medical referrals and psychosocial support. AHN is also raising awareness of these risks through radio programmes and by working closely with communities.
Funding remains a major challenge for AHN members; less than 5 per cent of the resources mobilized under the 2022 Flash Appeal have gone directly to local and community-based organizations in the Kenya drought response.
OCHA/Jane KiiruProjected situation in 2023 and beyond
From October to December 2022, ASAL counties are expected to receive rainfall totals that are less than 60 per cent of the average, with some worst-affected regions experiencing the poorest start of season on record, resulting in an unprecedented fifth consecutive poor season. In addition, although long-lead forecasts have an inherent level of uncertainty and therefore need to be closely monitored, the current consensus among experts is that below-average rainfall is likely during the March to May (MAM) 2023 season, which would culminate in a record sixth consecutive poor season. The drought in Kenya’s ASAL region is therefore expected to deepen well into 2023, causing humanitarian needs to continue to rise.
Regardless of next year’s rainfall performance, recovery from a drought of this magnitude will take years, with extremely high humanitarian needs set to persist and even increase beyond 2023. Many people have completely lost their livelihoods and coping capacities and are relying heavily on humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs, which will challenge the drought recovery.
Garissa, Kenya
Shamsa Hassan, 10, is a pupil at Bangal Primary School. During the school’s morning break, she helps her parents by fetching water.
OCHA/Jane KiiruResponse priorities in 2023
From January to September 2022, humanitarian action in Kenya was significantly scaled-up in response to the rapidly escalating drought emergency, in full complementarity with Government-led relief efforts. Nearly 1 million people in the ASAL region were reached with life-saving and life-sustaining assistance by 89 humanitarian organizations, including UN entities, international and national non-governmental organizations and the Kenya Red Cross Society. Some 792,000 people to access safe and clean drinking water, receive sanitation and hygiene items. In addition, 633,000 people received much needed food and livelihood assistance; and more than 293,000 children under age 5 and pregnant and lactating women were able to access nutrition services, therefore improving child survival and development.
Kenya HRP
However, throughout the year, funding levels remained well below what was required, resulting in humanitarian partners being unable to reach all of the people they had aimed to assist. By the end of the year, partners will likely have reached less than 50 per cent of those targeted, largely due to under-funding. Insecurity also remained a challenge in some key drought-affected areas, including in Mandera and Marsabit counties. However, local and national organizations were able to work in these areas due to their extensive knowledge of the context and strong community acceptance,
The 2023 Drought Response Plan is premised on the understanding that a clearly prioritized multi-sectoral and integrated response to the drought crisis is critical. To this end, seven priority 1 counties are identified for the most urgent life-saving response, based on an inter-sectoral analysis—focused on the Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH sectors—of the severity of needs. A further nine priority 2 counties are identified, where partners will aim to provide life-sustaining interventions and avert a further deterioration in people’s needs. Protection will be integrated across the response, given the significant increase in protection risks caused by the drought, especially with respect to gender-based violence and child protection. Education interventions will also be vital in light of the high risk of school drop-outs and the life-long consequences this will have for affected children and their communities.