Saturday 19 September

Catholic missionaries working in the northern part of Kenya are appealing for food aid from government, international and local donors to feed famine stricken people in the arid area of Maralal northern Kenya.
aid
Yarumal Missionary, Fr Vitner Vidal Marting of Barsaloi Parish in Maralal diocese said that two boys died two months ago because of hunger in Mairimirimo an outstation of Barsaloi parish. He said the situation is so desperate and insecurity has increased in the last few days and called on the government to do something to help the situation before more people die.

“As we speak people there are walking for long distances begging for food and water in the parishes and outstations,” he said in an interview.

Fr Marting said that the situation has forced them to give food to only pregnant women, children and the poor, “even what we give is not enough and our food reserves are completely empty.”

He said that it is a very sad situation where they are forced to send hungry people back home without food.

Fr Marting told this reporter that humans and animals are fighting for the same water points in order to survive. He mentioned that a place called Lulu used to have plenty of water but has completely dried up and people are climbing mountains to cut trees to feed their animals which are a source of their livelihood.

He warned that there is likelihood of the place becoming a desert because the people are not replacing the trees they cut.

“Migration of people to search for food and water and pasture for their animals is also causing a lot of conflict among the Samburu, Pokot and Turkana communities,” he said.

He mentioned that the government gave only 12 bags of maize three weeks ago but that has not helped the situation and the diocese is completely overwhelmed by the demand for food.

The World Food Programme which had promised to give food every week has failed to do so and people keep waiting in parishes and outstations for food but they have still not come to aid the hunger stricken.

Fr Marting said that they have not had heavy rains in that area since last year. Early this week, some 33 people, 40 cattle, 20 goats and 30 sheep were killed by cattle rustlers in the Laikipia North District. The drought has forced the Samburu and Pokot communities to migrate in search of greener pasture.

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