UNCLAS NAIROBI 001019

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED ADDEE)


AIDAC

STATE FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, AF/PD, EB, PRM/AF, IO
USAID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS, MHESS
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, IMACNAIRN, KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JDRUMMOND, TANDERSON, DNELSON,
SBRADLEY
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE
DAA/AFR, KALMQUIST
ADDIS ABABA FOR TIM STUFFT
DJIBOUTI FOR JSCHULMAN
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
NSC FOR JMELINE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DY EAID ECO ET PHUM PREF EGAD CENTCOM PRES
SUBJECT: KENYA SOMALIA DROUGHT EMERGENCY TASK FORCE

REF: STATE 27057


1. Summary: On February 27, Ambassador Bellamy
established an inter-agency Drought Emergency Task Force
for Kenya and Somalia at post to coordinate information
and both short and long-term responses to the current
crisis. Post estimates that the current drought in the
Horn of Africa has placed 3.5 million Kenyans and 1.7
million Somalis in need of food aid. The need for
additional food aid and non-food assistance is urgent;
in Kenya, for instance, the current pipeline of food aid
will only last through April. The impact of poor rains
has been exacerbated in Kenya by inadequate investment
in markets, infrastructure and social safety nets in
Kenya and by the lack of an effective government in
Somalia. End Summary.


2. The February 8 GOK/WFP drought assessment for Kenya
estimates a population of 3.5 million persons in need of
assistance, in 27 of the 36 Arid and Semi Arid (ASAL)
districts. An estimated 395,000 MT of food aid is
required between March 2006 and February 2007. Much of
the affected population relies on livestock for its
livelihood and is experiencing extraordinary pressures
on water and pasture resources. The GOK has provided
60,000 MT against this requirement but has turned to the
donors to finance the inland transportation and
distribution of this food. U.S. pledges since January 1
amount to over 51,000 tons of cereals and non-cereals.
Based on currently identified food supplies, the GOK/WFP
food distribution pipeline is likely to face a break by
the end of April, with stocks of CSB and veg-oil to be
depleted even sooner. Additional needs for water, health
and nutrition, education, agriculture and livelihood
support total more than $20 million.

3. In Somalia, an estimated 1.7 million people in the
North, Central and Southern regions of Somalia are
facing conditions of acute food and livelihood crisis or
humanitarian emergency at least until June 2006, and
combined with 380,000 internally-displaced persons
(IDPs), the total number of people in need of assistance
throughout the country is 2.1 million. The crisis is
especially severe in the southern regions of Somalia,
where an estimated 1.4 million people are in urgent need
of humanitarian assistance. Somalia is experiencing
crop failure, considerable livestock deaths, rapidly
increasing cereal prices, falling livestock prices,
abnormal population movements, and extreme shortages of
and limited access to water and food.


4. The Drought Task Force for Kenya and Somalia will
address the various aspects of the crisis, including
food assistance, health and nutrition, water, longer-
term actions to reduce the risk of recurrent drought,
and public diplomacy. The Task Force is chaired by USAID
Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, who is directly
responsible for reporting to the Ambassador and DCM.
Specific actions include: a) full participation in
GOK/donor working groups to assess needs and coordinate
responses; b) reporting to State and USAID Washington,
including bi-weekly reporting of the drought situation
in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti; c) continuing
dialogue with DCHA/FFP and DCHA/OFDA to identify
resources for emergency response programs; d) outreach
to other Embassies to encourage their participation in
the relief efforts, including a joint visit to North
Eastern Province in February, and a March 5 luncheon at
the Ambassador?s Residence during the visit of WFP
Executive Director, James Morris, in which 15 other
Embassies were represented.


5. In addition, USAID has formed a regional pastoralist
working group, which serves as an internal think tank to
inform USAID?s approach to the longer-term response to
the drought in the pastoralist arc of Kenya, Somalia and
Ethiopia. Composed of REDSO, OFDA/ECARO, USAID/Ethiopia
and USAID/Kenya, the working group interacts with other
donors and partners to understand the immediate drought
and the root causes of the failure of livelihood systems
in the region. The current drought demonstrates the
need for a regional perspective that complements
bilateral activities to help build resiliency within the
affected communities to withstand the effects of
recurrent shocks; address conflict issues across
borders; and help stem environmental degradation. The
working group is developing a concept paper that may be
used to access potential supplemental funds, e.g. the
USAID/Washington-managed Famine Fund.


6. Concerted action is needed at Post and in Washington
to secure the resources necessary to avoid widespread
loss of life in Kenya and Somalia and to prepare for
both recovery and mitigation of future threats. The
Task Force will keep Washington informed of developments
in Kenya. BELLAMY