100,000 in need of food due to Kenyan famine

100,000 people are in urgent need of food in a district of Kenya. The Laikipia district of Kenya has been hit hard by a drought. The number people there who face famine has doubled in the last two months.

A governmental meeting that discussed the emergency was covered by the Daily News. Writer Mwangi Ndirangu details the meeting and the emergency aid that is arriving to the district.

During a meeting attended by various government departmental heads, it emerged that 97,618 people need relief food compared to 42,706 during a similar survey conducted in December.

For the last two months, a Catholic relief agency, Caritas, has been distributing food to those affected.

However, due to crop failure the number of people in need of food continues to rise and Friday’s meeting had been convened to review the situation.

The meeting, held in Nanyuki town, was chaired by senior district officer Denis Ogola. It heard that all divisions in the three districts were affected except Nyahururu and Ng’arua. Laikipia North District, which is home to pastoralists, is the worst hit, with over 50 per cent of the residents facing hunger.