The Government of Kenya declared drought as a national disaster on September 8, 2021. The food security situation has been on a worsening trend in the Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) counties in Kenya attributed mainly to the poor performance of the October-December 2020 short rains and the March-May 2021 long rains.
The UN (September 2021) issued a Flash Appeal of US$ 139.5 million targeting 1.27 million drought-stricken populations[1]. Resilience is significantly weakened through damage to household economies and health as people are forced to engage in negative coping strategies to overcome acute food insecurity.
Four ACT Kenya Forum members have raised an appeal to reach the most vulnerable affected communities. Church World Service, Christian Aid, Lutheran World Services, and Anglican Development Services plan to support affected communities with food security, WASH, livelihood, and health services support.