Acute Joint Response Kenya

The situation continued to worsen with an increase in food prices which continually reducing household purchasing power driven by increases in fuel costs and inflation. In addition, some factors worsen the situation for the affected communities which included contention over grazing lands and water resources; conflict and insecurity resulting in displacement; as well as poor governance and resource management with corruption leading to a lack of vital services such as water for vulnerable populations. With these factors, the drought affected population are exposed to many devastating consequences including malnutrition, unsafe migration, disease outbreaks and conflicts. In addition, women and girls face increased gender-based violence—sexual violence, early marriages as well as walking longer unsafe distances to access water and food.

The activities

Food Security & Livelihoods: 

Each targeted household received a food basket which comprised of 50kgs of maize flour, 10kgs of beans, 2 liters of vegetable cooking oil and 0.5kg of salt during each cycle. A total of 9,254 individuals (2,072 women; 1,860 men; 2,638 girls, and 2,684 boys) were reached with the monthly food distributions. During these food distributions, sensitization posters were used to create awareness on the project, complaint mechanism, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Gender-Based Violence, food utility which included food preparation and handling.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): 

Sanitation in health facilities were rehabilitated. The construction works mainstreamed gender and disability needs into the design. The design ensured that, there were ramps to help the people with disability access the facility. The design also ensured that the toilets had privacy wall especially for the women and sign to show male and female facilities. The repair also helped in minimizing long queues to the toilet since most of the unused toilets are now operational. In collaboration with the County Public health officer’s health talks on food handling, hand washing demonstrations and safe storage of water to curb the spread of waterborne illness was done.

Nutrition:

In Wajir the project complemented the Ministry of Health supply chain by procuring 552 boxes of Ready to Use therapeutic foods and essential drugs to support treatment of acute malnutrition and minor illnesses at both outreaches and health facilities. The supplies were donated to 22 health facilities and 24 outreach sites. These supplies ensured essential nutrition commodities to the health facilities and outreach sites. The project supported these 24 sites to manage acute malnutrition.

Multipurpose Cash: 

In Wajir the project reached a total of 500 households equivalent to 4000 people. In Mandera MPC grants were given to 1,000 households for two cycles to meet the immediate lifesaving needs of the most vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, affected by the drought and to improve household and community resilience were provided. In Marsabit distributions reached 1341 households with 5 cycles. n Turkana 521 households received 4 rounds of Multipurpose Cash Assistance.