The Government has intensified drought response operations in Wajir County, distributing relief food to vulnerable households as dry conditions persist in the region.
Speaking after flagging off a relief food consignment, Principal Secretary (PS) for Special Programmes Ismail Maalim said the government was implementing coordinated and targeted interventions to cushion affected communities.
He said the State was scaling up targeted interventions, including food assistance, livestock protection and water trucking, to protect lives and livelihoods until the next rainy season.
“Our focus is on an evidence-based response anchored on accurate reporting, proper documentation and strengthened ground-level data collection to ensure the right interventions reach those most in need,” said PS.
PS Maalim noted that the government has so far dispatched 22,500 bags of rice and 19,200 bags of beans across 15 sub-counties in Wajir County, adding that no human life has been lost despite some areas moving into the alert phase of drought.
The PS was accompanied by Principal Secretary for National Government Coordination Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim and area Members of Parliament during the distribution exercise, which saw hundreds of families receive foodstuff, household essentials, and other critical non-food items.
According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), more than 300,000 people in Wajir County have been affected by the drought, with over 200,000 classified as food insecure following poor rainfall seasons.
On his part, PS Ahmed Abdisalan said lactating mothers and school-going children were among the worst affected by the ongoing drought, stressing the need for a timely response to avert loss of lives.
He added that the County Government, in collaboration with the national government, was undertaking water trucking in areas facing acute shortages as part of complementary drought response measures.
Wajir East MP Adan Daud described the intervention as timely and called for sustained support to help communities cope with recurring climate shocks.
“These interventions are critical in managing drought situations in the county, and we appeal for continued support to cushion residents from the effects of climate change,” he said.
By Hamdi Buthul
