Hunger stricken families in Marsabit County have received food support from the government.
Marsabit County Commissioner (CC) Paul Rotich said that the drought situation was under constant review adding that plans have been put in place to ensure that the affected families are not exposed to starvation.
Mr Rotich told KNA that 490 metric tons of relief food have been dispatched and distributed to deserving cases in all the seven sub-counties across the county.
The CC said that 160, 900 persons in Loiyangalani, North Horr, Moyale, Sololo and Marsabit South sub- counties were afflicted by famine in Marsabit County owing to prolonged dry spell.
Other areas reeling under severe drought include Marsabit North and Marsabit Central sub-counties where the local pastoralist communities are losing livestock, their mainstay.
He said that the consignment comprising 7,000 bags of rice and 2,800 bags of beans have been timely distributed to the vulnerable families.
Apart from food rations, Mr Rotich said 20,000 households across the county have been placed under the food for hunger safety net programme where the beneficiaries are receiving monthly stipends to cushion them against hunger and poverty.
The drought has also led to the depletion of pasture and water sources with the government now providing the residents at the villages with water using trucks.
The rain failure situation in the county has been made worse by climate change being aggravated by overstocking and charcoal burning in the arid and semi-arid region.
By Sebastian Miriti
