Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NAIROBI1438
2006-03-31 09:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:  

OFDA VISIT TO KENYA'S MARSABIT DISTRICT

Tags:  EAID KE PREL PGOV ETRD ECON EAGR SENV SOCI 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 001438 

SIPDIS

AIDAC

AID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, CGOTTSCHALK, KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, SBRADLEY, NESTES, NCOX
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
NSC FOR JMELINE

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: EAID KE PREL PGOV ETRD ECON EAGR SENV SOCI
SUBJECT: OFDA VISIT TO KENYA'S MARSABIT DISTRICT

Summary

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 001438

SIPDIS

AIDAC

AID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, CGOTTSCHALK, KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, SBRADLEY, NESTES, NCOX
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
NSC FOR JMELINE

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: EAID KE PREL PGOV ETRD ECON EAGR SENV SOCI
SUBJECT: OFDA VISIT TO KENYA'S MARSABIT DISTRICT

Summary


1. An acute dry season, amplified by poor seasonal
rains last November is eroding livelihoods and food
security of pastoralist populations in Kenya's Marsabit
District. Livestock numbers have declined due to the
lack of access to pasture and water. Tribal conflict is
preventing many pastoralists from utilizing traditional
dry season coping mechanisms. The Government of Kenya
(GOK) and several NGOs are responding to the
humanitarian needs of more than 80 percent of the
district's population. Failure of the coming long
season rains will eliminate remaining animals for many
already marginalized pastoralists and cause significant
numbers to migrate to the district's urban areas in
search of assistance. End Summary


2. OFDA Regional Advisor traveled throughout Marsabit
District March 21-24. The district borders with
Ethiopia, is inhabited primarily by pastoralist tribes
entirely dependent on livestock for food security and
livelihoods, and is extremely underdeveloped.
USAID/OFDA met with several NGOs working in the area,
talked with District officials, drought monitoring
entities and spoke with pastoralists in several
locations.

Current Situation


3. Almost 80 percent of Marsabit District's population
of 136,000 is receiving or being targeted for food
assistance. The Kenyan Red Cross (KRC) is the emergency
lead agency and distributing commodities from both the
World Food Program and GOK pipelines. The KRC reported
no beneficiary overlap in the two programs but some
delays with respect to deliveries of pulses and oil.
The Regional Advisor attended a GOK commodity
distribution in Balessa settlement and found that
beneficiaries were registered appropriately, and there
were multiple commodities available, however quantities

distributed were below the 2100 kilocalorie/person/day
standard. Beneficiaries throughout the district
confirmed receipt of rations but complained about
inadequate quantities.


4. The District Commissioner reported there are 38
health centers in the district and several visited were
functioning. Each health post was staffed, had basic
pharmaceuticals with adequate expiration dates, cold
chain facilities and available surveillance data.
Immunization rates in the Bubisa and Torbi Divisions
were above 90 percent according to local immunization
records at the health posts.


5. Health officers reported that the major morbidities
are respiratory infections, malaria and diarrheal
disease, but have not seen a significant increase in the
number of patients. There were no reports of measles
outbreak. Health clinics are not overwhelmed with
patients and everyone is attended to despite the ability
to pay fees. Some complaints were heard about the price
of medications unavailable at the health centers that
need to be purchased at local pharmacies.


6. There has been no objective measurement of current
conditions with respect to malnutrition. UNICEF
initiated a nutritional survey last week and results are
expected by April 15. Health centers refer malnutrition
cases to NGO supplemental feeding programs, and severe
cases are sent to the Marsabit District hospital. The
Bubisa health authorities reported that about eight
percent of the children in its constituency were
receiving supplemental foods.


7. Twenty eight boreholes are scattered throughout the
district to serve the nomadic pastoralist populations.
The DC reported that all are functioning, and that three
drilling rigs had arrived in the area to drill another
16 boreholes. At wells visited, local water committees
confirmed they were receiving fuel and spare parts from
the GOK and pumps were generally running about 20 hours
per day. Boreholes visited were not overwhelmed by
animals, however, a system of rotation for watering was
in place and herders have designated times to bring
animals.


8. Water tankering is being carried out by four
organizations in the district, and there were several
tanks on the sides of roads that are filled by the
tankering activity. A recent donation by the Norwegians
of seven water trucks will arrive in April.


9. Livestock has been particularly affected by the
current crisis. The GOK estimates that 50 percent of
the cattle and small stock have perished, however, no
objective surveys have been carried out to date. There
were several carcasses (mostly cattle) on the roads
traveled and numerous abandoned goats that were too weak
to keep up with the main herds.


10. The lack of pasture is the biggest problem
affecting the livestock in the district. Although there
are functioning boreholes, the pasture in the vicinity
has been consumed. There is significant pasture in some
areas of the district, however, no water exists and
there is an issue of insecurity. Many pastoralists
reported that their herds, which once numbered in the
hundreds, were now down to 20 or 30 animals. Rain has
begun to fall in Marsabit, but temperature change and
subsequent pneumonia continues to kill many already
weakened livestock.


11. Coordination of the emergency response appears to
be good in Marsabit. The District Commissioner heads a
group (District Steering Group) that meets weekly with
implementation partners to plan humanitarian operations.
The group recently recommended increasing the number of
food recipients from 105,000 to 120,000 (or almost 90
percent of the population). There was no detail from
the DC?s Office on how District Contingency Funds
($400,000) were being applied to the emergency.

Conflict


12. The Gabra tribe is the predominant ethnic group in
the district, and was victimized in July 2005 when
neighboring Borana raiders murdered more than 90 people
in Turbi center. Local sources report the conflict was
not sparked so much by a lack of resources, but by
political positioning. The fighting has continued on a
smaller scale over the last year, which contradicts the
historical relationship between the two that included
intermarriage and sharing of natural resources. Due to
the conflict, traditional drought coping mechanisms of
migrating animals have been impeded. Gabra pastoralist
are unable, or are in fear of, grazing animals in areas
currently with pasture and water due to fear of attack
from Borana tribesmen.

Boom and Bust Cycle


13. Several village elders described a livestock boom
and bust cycle experienced by local herdsmen that began
around 1970. Despite a regular appeal from the GOK in
Nairobi for drought assistance, local elders said they
experienced real drought every six or seven years.
Current conditions are similar to those experienced in
1972, 1992, and 2000, and that intervals were becoming
shorter. The drought period will usually reduce stocks
of goats and cattle by 80 percent, followed by several
years of normal conditions that eventually replenish
herd sizes. Local estimates are that it will take five
years for pastoralist to recover what was lost recently
to the current dry spell.

Solutions to Current Predicament


14. Both GOK and village elders highlighted the need
for development progress to break the boom and bust
cycle affecting food security and livelihoods.
Specifically, the need for improved roads to reduce the
cost of transporting animals to market, livelihood
diversification (salaried jobs to reduce dependence on
livestock),and the need to reestablish a ?meat
commission? (as was available in the past) as an outlet
to sell animals on a regular basis, stabilize prices for
animals, and smooth household income.

Coping Mechanisms and Dependency on Natural Events


15. Traditional coping mechanisms for drought in
Marsabit include migration of herds, and the
slaughtering of goats and camels for food (milk is the
primary food source in normal times). UNICEF reported
that there was no evidence that pastoralists had begun
to slaughter animals to cope, and many retained animals
in hope of improvements from the oncoming Long Rain
season.


16. During the visit, we found little evidence of
pastoralists attempts to mitigate the affects of the dry
season. There were no local initiatives to improve the
depths of water pans, improved water storage, or off
take of livestock before conditions deteriorated. Some
herders explained they had sold a few extra goats last
season to pay for water at the boreholes. Populations
are entirely at the mercy of the weather?s ability to
provide natural water points and pasture; and donor
funded NGO activity.

Conclusions / Recommendations


17. There is a high risk that a failure of the rains in
the next long rain season will eliminate remaining
stocks for a large percentage of pastoralists? herds
already affected by the dry conditions. Pastoralists
with 10-15 remaining animals could lose everything
unless natural conditions quickly improve, thus forcing
families into local towns to become indefinitely
dependent on emergency aid. Targeted feeding of core
animals for vulnerable pastoralists until rains
regenerate pasture would prevent many from losing their
entire herd and reduce migration to towns for
assistance.


18. Emergency distributions of food to pastoralist
families will need to continue until rains have
recharged pasture and livestock stabilizes. The normal
start of the long rain season is early April. Although
the targeting and delivery mechanisms are in place,
USAID will need to monitor food pipeline conditions.


19. Continued financial support will be needed to
maintain boreholes and tanker water to affected families
until the Long Rains arrive. USAID/OFDA will continue
to support UNICEF programs targeting emergency water
interventions. Water storage at schools and health
facilities needs to be improved to support school
feeding programs and health care assistance. GOK plans
to drill 16 more boreholes in pastoralist areas should
reduce competition for water from animals in the long
term, however, completion of this objective needs to be
monitored.


20. Nutritional results will be available mid April.
The results will direct GOK and UNICEF as to the numbers
needing emergency nutritional support. USAID/OFDA will
continue to support UNICEF emergency nutritional
interventions.


21. Carefully targeted animal restocking activities may
be appropriate after the next rainy season and once the
current environment has had time to recover and
stabilize.


22. Government investment is needed in the district to
break the boom and bust cycle of drought for pastoral
communities. Introduction of livelihood
diversification, improved transport infrastructure and
marketing opportunities for the sale of livestock to
smooth price variations would ease the affect of future
dry periods.

BELLAMY