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Kenya

Mandera District: Drought Monthly Bulletin, September 2006

Attachments

Situation Overview

No rains were received in the entire district during the month under review

Pasture quality and quantities continued to deteriorating however, it can sustain livestock the coming month.

The main sources of water during the month were major earth pans and boreholes, however, communities will begin to utilize boreholes and the river from now.

Livestock body condition was fair during the month of Sept.

The market prices of Goats and Cattle have dropped drastically by 8% and 20% respectively during September. The livestock prices are below baseline average.

Cereals prices are higher than average prices, but Posh remained constant while maize increased by a shilling (7%).

Other essential commodities such as rice and cooking oil prices dropped, while sugar price was constant.

From the sampled divisions, Milk was consumed by nobody .This is attributed to dry herds. However observation made, milk was available in the urban towns, mainly those close to international borders.

% of at risk and malnourished (ARM) children declined from previous month level by 11%.

The flagged locations are Omar Jilihow Kambo, Kamor liban, Gari, Bambo, Kubi, Guba, Jurugo Malkamari, Sukela, Malka ruqa, Didkuro, Eldanaba and Hareri hosle locations due to water shortage, hence, water tankering should be carried out.

The district is at the stage of ALERT and trends are Worsening.

Recommendations to DSG & KFSSG

Sensitize ALL communities entire district on peace building

Provide Relief food and Supplementary feeding for the vulnerable groups and malnourished children and aged persons

Provision of farm inputs such as fodder & pasture, drought tolerant seeds for agro-pastorals and pastoral

Restocking for vulnerable pastorals drop outs as a result of past severe drought

Vaccination campaign and mass treatments of livestock to minimize diseases and parasites.

Provision of water tankering for flagged locations

Strengthen mobile outreach services and stock more basic drugs at rural health facilities

Carry RAT assessment to analyse the current situation in the district.

Support rapid response team for emergency boreholes Rehabilitations.

Provision of chemical water treatment for areas with earth pans

Current Intervention

Non-food aid

The following interventions were carried out during the month in the district;

Vaccination and mass treatments of livestock by DVO through VSF-suisse sponsor.

Restocking by EPAG in Waranqara, Fino & Damasa locations for 40 H/holds each with 40 shoats & a donkey

Desilting of earth pans by EPAG at Kabo, Waranqara, Bambo, Fincharo and Qura mathow locations.

Construction of underground tanks at Elele, Omar jillow and Sarohindi locations by EPAG.

Construction of underground tanks at Kubi, Ogorwein, Sarman, Guba, Jurugo & takaba by RACIDA.

Desilting and lining of earth pans at Hullow & Malkamari respectively by RACIDA

Provision of 200 No. drop pipes by ALRMP to boreholes locations.

Provision of fuel subsidy (30,000 lts) to boreholes areas by MWI through UNICEF assistance.

Polio vaccination of children under 5 by MOH.

Food aid

i) Supplementary feedings by Action Against Hunger, Islamic Relief, MSF-Belgium and Care Kenya

ii) Therapeutic feeding centres (TFC) in Mandera district hospital and Elwak Sub- district by AAH and MSF-Belgium respectively.

DSG Meeting & Recommendations

On 28th September main DSG was held at the district HQ.

The agenda were- Sept Relief food distribution, drought update & North Aid drought water recovery project.

The DSG members made the following recommendations;

Relief food for September to be distributed by October.

Drought update, the district is stage of ALERT and trends deteriorating.

Northern Aid to carry out water related interventions in West and Central constituencies on pans desilting, borehole drilling, capacity building for users association and water harvesting structures.

1. STABILITY

1.1 Rainfall

No precipitation received in the entire district.

Windy, hot and hot weather prevailed throughout the month

1.2 Natural vegetation and pasture condition

The quality and quantity of pasture were poor and fair respectively, though the quantity was stable and fair in Takaba, Dandu, Shimbir fatuma, Kutulo divisions and very limiting in other divisions such as Ashabito, Lafey and Banissa. The average distance to grazing areas is 8-15 km while return time to and from the grazing is 5-6 hrs.

1.3 Water sources and availability

The current main water sources for the agro-pastorals and pastoral are major earth pans and boreholes which is normal during this time of year. Other source includes seasonal River Daua along the riverine zone. The average distance to the source is 1-2 km and collection time is about an hour for the household level. In the grazing areas water availability is on average and continues to decrease in the coming period.

1.4 Emerging Issues

1.4.1 Security issues

No insecurity reported in the divisions, thus peace prevails.

1.4.2 Migration

There was in migration seasonal movement of livestock for pasture and water in areas of constraints such as Lafey, Banissa and Ashabito divisions and Wajir district.

1.5 Implication on food security

The water and pasture situation has rapidly decreased as evidenced by in increase in distances in grazing and return times.

This will also, reduce livestock body conditions due to trekking for pastures, hence weakling of animals & reduced outputs.

Lower prices and lower returns for the agro-pastorals.

Therefore, low purchasing power, hence, food insecurity.

2. AVAILABILITY

2.1 livestock production

The main livestock reared by the pastoralist are camel, cattle, goats and sheep. Camel & cattle being long term assets while shoats are current assets.

The herd size of the agro-pastorals was drastically reduced by past drought.

2.1.1 Livestock body condition

On average, livestock body condition was fair, this is normal at such time of the year, thus trends stable in some divisions of the district, for instance Takaba and Dandu.

2.1.2 Livestock diseases

There were no major incidences of animal diseases outbreak.

2.1.3 Milk production

There was no milk production in sample divisions and this was as a result of very few dry herds.

2.2 crop production

2.2.1 Timelines and status of crop production

No outputs in rain-fed zones, while irrigation zones, harvesting is at low scale, however, yields realized are minimal as maize and legumes were used as fodder. This is normal at this time of the year.

2.2.2 Pest and diseases

No major pests and diseases were reported during the month.

2.2.3 Harvest

There was little harvest during the month along the riverine belt.

2.3 Implications on food security

There were no cereals and legumes stocks in the agro-pastoral and pastoral households during the month

No milk production in the households sample divisions

No major pest and diseases that affected both animals and crops.

The trend shows no food stocks; therefore households need food interventions in the coming periods.

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