About 100,000 people in Tana River are hunger stricken following failed rains for two consecutive years that has ushered in a prolonged drought.
Tana River County branch of the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) Coordinator Mr. Gerald Bombe said the drought has resulted in an acute water and pasture shortage in the area.
Speaking to the press in his Hola office today, Bombe said a food assessment made by KRCS found that people in Tana North Sub County are most affected because the area has a huge livestock population hence there was severe shortage of pasture and water in the area.
The KRCS coordinator said, the residents of Wayu Sub County also suffer water and pasture scarcity due to inadequate rainfall and the presence of huge livestock herds has contributed to drying up of water sources like dams and boreholes in the area.
Mr. Bombe also said, his organisation and World Food Programme (WFP) have been supplying relief food and water to about 43,000 hunger stricken people while the remaining population of about 60,000 people are experiencing food deficit and appealed to other non-governmental organisations and well-wishers to supply relief food to the affected people in the county.
He further said, the number of needy people will increase because the weather condition has not improved instead it is developing towards the worst stage.
Source: Kenya News Agency