A total of 900 vulnerable households, displaced by drought and insecurity in Turkana South and Turkana East Sub-counties are set to benefit from cash support from International Organization of Migration (IOM).
IOM’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer Samuel Cobrado said they have identified Lotus Kenya Action for Development organization LOKADO as an implementing partner (IP) for the one month-project targeting the 900 households in the two sub-counties and other forthcoming long-term engagements.
On the long-term support, Cobrado said IOM and LOKADO conducted a joint Displacement Tracking Matrix and vulnerability assessment in October to November 2022, Countywide.
Speaking during a meeting with the IOM team in Lodwar, the county deputy governor Dr. John Erus said the two sub-counties, were the hardest hit by drought and insecurity, hence the need for immediate response.
“IOM’s emergency response support to displaced vulnerable households in Turkana East and Turkana South is a timely mission as the cash transfer will improve the situation,” said Erus.
The deputy governor expressed concern for the Turkana East Sub-county as health reports indicate it has the highest malnutrition rates recorded.
He said the two sub counties are a resourceful food basket for the county and called for urgent support.
Additionally, Dr. Erus pointed out that the County Government is currently mobilizing partners to support the construction of water troughs and medium size-dams in strategic corridors for the livestock.
That he said, will be a measure to confine pastoralists within Turkana County and prevent rampant conflicts with neighbours.
Cobrado assured the Deputy Governor and the County Government of IOM’s support in bolstering key partnership areas in leveraging on joint activities in the County.
“IOM will continue engaging the Turkana County Government in building efforts towards expanding the funding to include and strengthen the Turkana and Karamoja resource sharing agreements to accelerate their economic development,” said Cobrado.
Similarly, he disclosed IOM will labour to present a Concept Note to EU to consider funding resource-sharing agreements between Turkana and the neighbours to avert the perennial resource-based conflicts.
LOKADO’s Executive Director Augustine Kai emphasized that IOM and LOKADO will work closely with National and County Governments in ensuring peace prevails along the shared borders.
On vulnerability assessment, Kai said LOKADO and IOM technical team will train the enumerators and team leaders Thursday on Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and Multi-Sectoral Vulnerability Assessment (MSLA), which will pave way for the identification of vulnerable households to help fast track disbursement of the emergency cash transfer.
IOM’s Fowzia Ali (Programme Support) and Anthony Munyenze (Information Management) were present during the meeting.
By Peter Gitonga
