Cologne: Almost no rain has fallen in parts of northern Kenya for more than half a year, leading to severe droughts affecting around one million people. In Illeret, on the shores of Lake Turkana, the drought has become life threatening. Food prices are rising continually: local livestock long ago ceased to produce any milk, and up to half of the animals have now died off. More than 23,000 people in Illeret are now going hungry.
“These people are in distress. They have nothing to eat or drink, and some of them are so desperate that they are drinking the saltwater from the lake. The cattle that they rely on for food are gone, and they have taken the livelihood of many with them. Things are getting worse every day,” said Anne Hild, Malteser International’s Country Coordinator for Kenya. “Our staff on the ground are undertaking detailed assessments of the situation, and when the necessary financial support is in place we will launch an emergency relief project to help the people in Illeret.”
Malteser International has been working in Kenya since 2001. During the severe drought of 2011, Malteser International provided emergency relief in the form of food and medicine to around 80,000 people in the region.
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