Garissa town in arid Northern Kenya, is characterized by harsh, dry conditions but the prolonged drought, the worst declared in three years has made it unbearably difficult for pastoralists. It has not rained in months and the water pans which used to be a water source for communities have dried up. So have the shallow wells. Residents have to walk for long areas in search of water for their livestock.
At the weekly livestock market, cows are gaunt and weak, one dies right in front of its owner who is trying to sell it to salvage it from the harsh climate.
In Ijara, 200 kilometres from Garissa, the situation is the same. The little water left in the pans has turned a greenish-brown hue as it is shared by both humans and animals, who often dirty the water as they wade in to drink. There are hardly any alternative options from where to source water.
The water from the pans and shallow wells is also used to clean clothes and take a bath. The only clean water they have is reserved for drinking. Villagers come together and pay Kshs 50 per household for a water browser to bring clean water for their drinking needs. The truck does not come daily, not even weekly because there is often no money to buy the water itself.
Sahara Farah fetches some of this water in a jerrycan and heads home. It is a long walk in the scorching sun. She is happily received by her four children who are excited that today she is carrying goods home - some flour and vegetables for the evening meal. Sahara is a recipient of a Kshs 10,600 cash transfer program sponsored by the ICRC as part of the drought response in the area. The community presents a list of those most in need who the Kenya Red Cross thereafter vets to ascertain that they are the most affected in the area. More than 500 families have received the multipurpose cash grant which they use to purchase food, water, and other needs amongst the affected communities in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir and Lamu counties.
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From the cash transfer she received, Sahara has to apportion the money; some for home needs to buy food, to offset school fees balance and finally to get some drinking water for the home. She is grateful that they have something to look forward to, a full meal today and some more for the next few days. As a small-scale vegetable seller, Sahara notes that there are fewer customers now as most do not have money to purchase food. They are surviving on essentials only, while other needs like school fees and urgently needed household items remain unmet until they get support such as the cash grants.
Sahara is one of the more fortunate ones; recent statistics from the county authorities state that there are 378,000 people in Garissa alone, in need of urgent humanitarian support.
The community has been grateful for the support as it has meant that they can get clean drinking water, purchase much needed commodities and also, feed their livestock, which is the family's main source of wealth in that area. Over 60,000 people have received support of one kind or other from the Red Cross since March this year across Garissa, Lamu, Wajir and Mandera counties.
