Suguta families battle hunger as aid falters

Providing humanitarian aid to families in Turkana County’s hard-hit Suguta area remains a major challenge, despite thousands of households affected by the ongoing drought.

Localities in Suguta Sub-County facing severe conditions include Kapedo, Kamoge, Ngilukia, Chemchem, Kagitetei, Lomelo, and Naipeitom. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) reports that at least 2,850 households in Suguta require urgent assistance.

Access to the region is limited by poor roads, rough terrain, and insecurity. Previous relief efforts have struggled to reach communities, with bandits reported to hide in valleys and thickets, targeting people across Baringo, Turkana, and Samburu counties.

Suguta, approximately 270 kilometres from Lodwar, has almost no pasture, forcing herders to trek long distances. Many animals are dying along migration routes due to exhaustion, dehydration, and lack of fodder, threatening the community’s main economic pillar.

A team from The Standard documented the journey, which took an entire day from Lodwar to Suguta. KRCS Head of North Region, Oscar Okumu, described the situation as dire.

“Movement in Suguta is limited, there is no means of transport, roads are poor, and basic amenities are absent to support affected families,” said Okumu.

Vehicles delivering aid often get stuck due to rough terrain. “We are doing all we can to reach the locality and save lives, especially children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers,” Okumu added. “Our aim is to ensure aid reaches every household, to the last kilometre.”

KRCS is providing cash and voucher assistance to 2,000 households and running school feeding programmes to keep children in school. Integrated medical and nutritional outreaches have been set up, offering malnutrition screening, immunisation, and treatment of various diseases.

Turkana County is among the worst affected. County Commissioner Julius Kavita said approximately 75 per cent of the population of 1.3 million is impacted.

“When animals become emaciated, livelihoods are directly threatened. Livestock is the main economic pillar here,” said Kavita.

Southern Turkana regions including Kalapata, Lokichar, and Loima are experiencing severe dryness, affecting both people and animals. Other affected areas include Korkro, Turkana North, Loima, Turkana East, Katilia, Koraruk, Lobei, Todonyang, the Kerio Delta, Kalapata, and Namukuse.

The national government has doubled food rations for vulnerable households, increasing allocations from about 560 metric tonnes to 1,000 metric tonnes. KRCS and other agencies are complementing this with relief supplies and medical interventions.

Although no human deaths have been directly reported, suffering is widespread, and livestock losses continue to mount. “The animals look weak, and communities are under strain. We must give this situation the attention it deserves to prevent escalation,” Kavita said.

KRCS continues to navigate challenging terrain to reach isolated villages with vital cash, food, and medical support. “Every household reached is a life potentially saved,” Okumu said.

A KRCS report shows that Kenya is facing a worsening drought characterised by early depletion of household food stocks, reduced pasture and water availability, declining livestock productivity, and increased livestock migration. Acute malnutrition remains critical.

Seven counties and sub-counties are in the critical phase: Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit (North Horr and Laisamis), and West Pokot (East Pokot) and Baringo (Tiaty). Another three counties are in the serious phase: Wajir, Tana River, West Pokot (West Pokot), and Marsabit (Saku).

The report notes that an estimated 784,000 children aged five to six, and 134,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women require treatment for acute malnutrition nationally. “Kenya Red Cross Society is actively responding across ASAL counties, providing food assistance, cash transfers, nutrition services, clean water, and psychosocial support to vulnerable households,” the report reads.

KRCS is working closely with both national and county governments, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners.

“We are implementing a multi-sectoral drought response focusing on food, security, nutrition, water, and protection,” the report adds.