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The cumulative impact of two consecutive poor rainy seasons, coupled with the covid-19 pandemic, insecurity, pests and diseases have caused humanitarian needs to rapidly rise in the Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) region of Kenya, leading to the declaration of a national disaster. At least 4.35 million people who are severely suffering from food insecurity are adopting irreversible coping strategies to meet their minimum food needs. Many families are in need of aid. The essentials include; dry food, clean water/borehole, solar powered lighting and equipment, clothing, sanitary items among others. According to the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, nine counties in Kenya are expected to have the highest number of people in Crisis Phase 3, Emergency Phase 4 and above; Mandera, Turkana, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Kwale, Kitui, Tana River and Isiolo. Food insecurity is expected to worsen in the period ahead based on the likelihood of poor rains during the upcoming short rains seasons. According to a report by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the three counties of Laikipia, Tana River and Tharaka Nithi have joined Isiolo, Mandera, Garissa, Turkana, Wajir, Samburu and Marsabit County, bringing the number of counties in alarm phase to 10. This aggravating household food security situation in the country has resulted in increased malnutrition in the arid and semi - arid (ASALs) counties, with 942,000 children below the age of 5 and 134,000 pregnant or lactating women requiring treatment for acute malnutrition. This is an increase from 884,464 children and 115,725 pregnant women reported last month. In some areas, over 90 per cent of water sources have dried up and, as crops fail, and families lose their livestock – which, for many, is their only source of income – more than four million people are grappling with acute hunger. Livelihoods have been severely impacted by the multiple shocks that communities have endured over the past year. The 2021 long rains production in the marginal areas is expected to be 42% to 70% below the long-term average (LTA) for maize, 61% to 89% below LTA for green grams and 58% to 86% below LTA for cowpeas. For farming households, below-average harvests result in reduced household income, making it difficult for families to purchase food as household food stocks decline. Household maize stocks are 31% to 54% below the five-year average in most marginal agricultural areas, with maize stocks projected to last one to two months compared to three or four months normally, according to the 2021 Long Rains Assessment, led by the National Drought Management Agency (NDMA). In pastoral areas, below-average rangeland regeneration has negatively impacted livestock production, resulting in below-average milk production and consumption and high staple food prices. Milk production ranges from 0.25 to 3 litres per household per day compared to the normal 2 to 6 litres. Likewise, daily household milk consumption ranges from 0.25 to 1.6 litres per household per day compared to the average 1 to 3 litres. Over 465,200 children under 5 and over 93,300 pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished in the ASAL region, according to the latest IPC Acute malnutrition Analysis. The nutrition situation is Critical (PC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Phase 4) in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Samburu, Turkana, North Horr and Laisamis sub-counties in Marsabit County and Tiaty in Baringo County and Serious (IPC AMN Phase 3) in Tana River and West Pokot Counties. Worryingly, acute malnutrition has surpassed the emergency threshold in many areas, affecting between 15% and 30% of children in at least eight counties. Low food and milk availability, high morbidity, limited access to health and nutrition services, stock-out of essential supplies for management of acute malnutrition and poor childcare practices, coupled with underlying issues such as poverty, high illiteracy, and poor infrastructure have resulted in atypically high acute malnutrition prevalence across pastoral areas. In the period ahead, the nutrition situation is projected to worsen, particularly affecting children and mothers in Turkana, Samburu, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo, North-Horr and Laisamis, and will deteriorate significantly if the short rains perform poorly, as anticipated. Access to water is an urgent concern for both humans and livestock. Many open water sources including rivers, water pans, and dams- have dried up across pastoral and marginal agricultural livelihood zones, and other open water sources at 20% to 40% of capacity. 87% of counties report above-average distances to water sources for households and 78% report above-average distances to water for livestock, according to the latest NDMA monitoring. Household trekking distances to watering points have increased to an average of 2 to 6 kilometres, up from the five-year average of 1 to 5 kilometres. Across most pastoral areas, livestock return trekking distances have also increased: in Marsabit, trekking distances are exceptionally high at 25 to 30 kilometres, compared to 15 to 20 kilometres normally; in Wajir, livestock trekking distances range from 15 to 20 km, around 3 to 4 times the normal distance of 5 km. With pastoralists having to walk longer distances in search of water, food and forage for their livestock, tensions among communities have risen and an increase in inter-communal conflict has been reported, according to an assessment by the ASAL Humanitarian Network. Atypical livestock migration is expected to intensify from September through October 2022 and from December 2022 until the beginning of the 2023 March to May long rains, according to the latest IPC analysis. As rangeland resources deteriorate rapidly in the period ahead, migration to dry-season grazing areas and other atypical routes are expected to further intensify, potentially increasing the incidence of resource-based conflict and disrupting markets, schooling, livelihoods and access to health facilities and services. Women, children and elderly people are often left behind in their villages, as men travel to access water, food and forage, heightening the risks of family separation, violence, exploitation, abuse and school drop-outs, as highlighted by the ASAL Humanitarian Network assessment and previous drought responses. During the 2017 drought in Kenya, children were often left behind with neighbours or relatives, or otherwise left to fend for themselves in urban centres, while families who were unable to sustain or feed all their members resorted to child labour as a main and standard coping mechanism, according to an Oxfam Protection Assessment. This often resulted in children dropping out of school to economically support their families, which is also a significant risk during the current crisis. Experiences during the 2017 drought also highlights the risk of an increase in sexual and gender-based violence, including early marriage, during drought. These risks have been exacerbated by covid-19, with a 2020 nationwide study by UN Women, Care and Oxfam revealing that both women and men are resorting to acts of gender-based violence as a result of idleness, stress and conflict over scarce resources. Most ASAL areas have reported disease outbreaks, including due to reduced availability of safe water sources and lack of access to improved sanitation and hygiene services. Upper respiratory tract infections increased across all drought-affected areas and malaria is rising in Turkana and Samburu counties. Between May and July 2021, at least 36 suspected cases of cholera were reported in Garissa (Dadaab Refugee Camp) and Turkana counties, according to WHO, in addition to active outbreaks of measles in endemic areas of West Pokot and Garissa, and a new flare-up of kala-azar in Wajir since January 2021. Looking ahead, with the 2023 short rains expected to be below-average, the drought crisis is expected to escalate. It is therefore imperative to act now. Food insecurity and malnutrition will continue to rise as families' access to food and income dries up. Livestock disease outbreaks and resource-based conflicts are also expected to intensify, significantly impacting and constraining livelihood activities. Livestock productivity is also expected to continue to decline, further reducing milk production and milk sales for households. Families are expected to intensify their use of consumption and livelihood coping strategies, which could result in further school drop-outs and heightened abuse of women and children. Majmuatul Khairat is a charity and non-profitable organization based on uplifting standards in Kenya. Established in 1958, Majmuatul Khairat is determined to reach out to the small neglected villages and people to uplift their standards of living by providing clean water, education and improve infrastructure and environment by building boreholes, Mosques, schools and clinics. The Majmuatul Khairat #FeedAFamily team in particular is very active in response to food aid. The #FeedAFamily project gathers donations from donors globally, purchases food, packages the food into monthly ration packages for families, identifies remote areas in need of aid and delivers the food to every family in the selected areas. The more the donation collected, the more the ration packages and reach to more families in desperate need of aid. The #FeedAFamily team is active in aiding thousands of families across the drought affected areas and aims to reach out to more families in desperate need of humanitarian aid. The #FeedAFamily team continues to reach out to global donners and every able person to gather contributions and donations that will fund the ongoing emergency drought and famine response in the country. Several projects have been put in motion that require funding to in order to effectively contribute to the general public in need of aid.