Welthungerhilfe is providing 100,000 Euros for the victims of the drought and the food crisis in Kenya. The measures taken up to now for supplying drinking water and food are to be expanded to ensure the survival of about 600,000 people. Iris Krebber, Welthungerhilfe's Regional Director in Nairobi, describes the situation: "Almost four million people do not know what they are to give their children to eat each day".
In the districts of Kajiado and Makueni, which have been hit hardest by the drought, Welthungerhilfe is repairing deep wells. In addition, over the coming weeks, tanker lorries will be used to fill large water cisterns on a regular basis so that the people can keep themselves and their cattle alive. These cisterns are part of an extensive project to gather rainwater on large rock plateaux. Besides this, food and money is also to be distributed as payment for the construction of dykes.
Kenya is experiencing one of the worst droughts and food crises for more than three decades. The rains have virtually failed to materialize for three years, and more than 3.8 million people are reliant on outside aid for their survival. Many of the nomads' animals have already perished, and the high food prices make maize and beans unaffordable for their families.
Welthungerhilfe has been supporting Kenyan partner organisations in carrying out projects for more than 30 years now, and since 1993 the German aid agency has had a presence in Kenya with its own organisation there. Currently, nine international employees (including eight Germans) and about 100 Kenyan employees are working on 10 projects .The current projects have a total value of about 10 million Euros.
Further information is available at www.welthungerhilfe.de
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Farmers carry buckets to collect water on the outskirts of Loudi, Hunan province September 8, 2009. Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu urged more efforts to fight drought in parts of China ...
