USAID ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL HESS

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001930 SIPDIS AIDAC AFDROUGHT SIPDIS STATE FOR EPRATT USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA, WGARVELINK, LROGERS DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, PMORRIS, CGOTTSCHALK, KCHANNELL DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, KNELSON USUN FOR EMALY BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER ROME FOR FODAG GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID KE SUBJECT: USAID ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL HESS VIEWS DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND USAID RESPONSE IN KENYA. Summary ¶1. From April 7 to 13, Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (AA/DCHA) Michael E. Hess traveled to Kenya to assess the impact of drought and to view USAID interventions. AA/DCHA Hess visited drought-affected pastoralists in Mandera District and farmer communities in Kitui and Makueni districts. In discussions with community members, government and local officials, and humanitarian organizations, AA/DCHA Hess emphasized the need to address the structural and chronic causes of hunger in Kenya and to identify long-term solutions. USAID will continue to monitor the progress of the current rainy season and provide appropriate assistance to affected populations. End Summary. Mandera Pastoralist District ¶2. On April 8, AA/DCHA Hess and Nairobi-based USAID staff traveled to Mandera District in North Eastern Province. The delegation was accompanied by staff from the Government of Kenya Office of the President and the U.N. World Food Program (WFP). ¶3. Mandera District, in the northeastern corner of Kenya bordering Somalia and Ethiopia, is one of the hardest hit districts in the current drought. The area is a major marketing center and provides health, education, and other services for populations from all three countries. Local communities reported up to 60 percent of the livestock, primarily cattle, goats and sheep, in the district have died from the drought conditions. To address pre-famine conditions, WFP is distributing 75 percent rations to approximately 80 percent of the district's population. ¶4. After a courtesy call to the District Commissioner, AA/DCHA Hess visited the Mandera town livestock market. USAID partner Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) is implementing a peace-building and conflict- resolution activity based at the market that brings together a market management committee and local leaders from three countries. AA/DCHA Hess spoke with ;a group of leaders who said that drought conditions are the worst in 90 years. Sales in the livestock market have dropped from an estimated 1,500 per day to only 500 in recent weeks. The leaders explained that their communities are in a perpetual cycle of preparing for drought, experiencing drought, or recovering from drought, and that competition for resources is ever present at all stages of this cycle. However, this year the leaders noted a decrease in the number of conflicts that led to violence and credited USAID's conflict resolution activities for providing a platform in the marketplace to peacefully resolve conflict. ¶5. The delegation then visited WFP's food store and found hundreds of tons of U.S. and Government of Kenya commodities neatly stacked. WFP officers on the scene said that there was enough food for about one month of Mandera district?s distribution requirements in the warehouse. However, with the rainy season commencing there are concerns that flooded and muddy roads may prevent sufficient food quantities from arriving in Mandera over the dirt road network in North Eastern Province. ¶6. Over lunch AA/DCHA Hess met a group of leaders from Gedo region, Somalia, who described conditions there as precarious. They continue to experience distress migration, high losses of livestock with some of the most vulnerable households losing up to 100 percent of livestock, and limited availability of water and basic health and nutrition services. ¶7. On the way back to Nairobi the delegation stopped in El-Wak, a town on the Somali border, where it had rained heavily the night before, bringing relief to the drought-stricken area. Due to the rains, all the livestock still alive were out of town taking advantage of the standing water in pasture areas. The delegation visited Borehole 11, which was established in the 1970s with USAID support in a village approximately 10 km from El Wak. The existence of the borehole has attracted hundreds of desperate people living in hovels and depending on WFP food for survival. ¶8. One woman told AA/DCHA Hess that she had lost all her livestock and had migrated to the village with her children out of desperation. When asked if she would take up pastoralism again, she said she would if animals were provided through a restocking program. She also noted that her children had received some medical care from outreach workers, and after hearing that there was a school feeding program in El Wak that she would enroll her children in school. Other households said that they were sharing their rations with new arrivals in El Wak. Kitui and Makueni Agro-Pastoral Districts ¶9. From April 9 to 10, AA/DCHA Hess visited drought- affected Makueni and Kitui districts accompanied by regional USAID management. The delegation visited projects implemented by USAID partners German Agro Action (GAA) in Makueni District and Adventist Development and Relief Agengy (ADRA) in Kitui District. The delegation met with district officials, local community leaders, and beneficiaries. ¶10. Three weeks of rainfall in the area has improved local pasture, recharged natural water points, and prompted farmers to plant for the current long rain season. Previous failed rainy seasons caused approximately 90 percent of maize crops to fail last year, detrimentally affecting food security in the region. Compounding the short-term effects of the drought is lack of development assistance provided by the central government, which has resulted in the general underdevelopment of the districts. ¶11. USAID has responded to drought conditions in the districts with both food and non food interventions since February 2005. USAID/OFDA provided 1.5 million U.S. dollars (USD) through partners GAA and World Vision to improve storage capacity and access to water. In addition, USAID/FFP supports a multi-year Developmental Assistance Program through partner ADRA. Approximately 50 percent of the population in Makueni and Kitui districts currently receives general rations from the USAID-supported U.N. World Food Program (WFP) operation. Water-Harvesting in Makueni District ¶12. In Makueni District, AA/DCHA Hess visited three examples of USAID/OFDA sustainable drought interventions, including rain catchment systems at local primary schools, reservoirs and water kiosks in local villages, and protected shallow wells. A cash- for-work component attached to each intervention provides families with immediate relief. Although rains were sporadic in recent years, rains do fall; however, the community does not have the ability to store rainfall and distribute water. ¶13. Since February 2005, GAA has constructed more than 46 rain catchment systems and shallow wells in Makueni District with USAID/OFDA support. AA/DCHA Hess visited examples of 20,000-liter tanks attached to school roof catchment schemes that, when filled, can provide water to students for up to six months. Shallow wells are protected from livestock and include runoff troughs for animal use. In March 2006, in response to ongoing drought conditions, USAID/OFDA awarded GAA an additional USD 500,000 to expand programs to the Mtito Andea Division in Makueni District. ¶14. AA/DCHA Hess congratulated the enthusiastic communities on the quality and swift implementation of the various projects. Communities contribute both labor and local materials to each project and assume managerial control of the projects once completed. The delegation noted that local residents had clearly rallied around the interventions in spite of the harsh conditions and crop losses experienced over the last year. Communities commented that they felt empowered to plan and implement mitigation and developmental initiatives for future responses as a result of the USAID assistance. Title II Development Activities in Kitui District ¶15. In Kitui District, AA/DCHA Hess visited a Title II development activity implemented by ADRA/Kenya. The project is one of five in Kenya aimed at improving livelihoods and increasing community capacity to prevent and mitigate the effects of weather-related disasters. The multi-year project, from FY 2004 to FY 2008, reaches approximately 60,000 people at a cost of approximately USD 7 million. ¶16. AA/DCHA Hess witnessed distribution of corn-soya blend (CSB) and vegetable oil to families caring for orphaned and vulnerable children, observed an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, and visited 2 of the 140 community boreholes constructed through the program. The boreholes aim to reduce the distance women must trek to find water. Conclusions ¶17. The start of the long rains in the districts visited is not enough to alleviate the immediate suffering of the drought-affected pastoralist and agro- pastoralist communities. Continued rainfall is critical for full recovery, notably successful harvests and revitalized herds. ¶18. Emergency drought programming in the region, initiated in the fall of 2005, is having a positive impact on affected communities in Mandera, Kitui, and Makueni districts. Water, food, health, and livelihood interventions by USAID are providing immediate relief, though more needs to be done to ensure long-term recovery and sustainability. ¶19. USAID will continue to monitor rainfall and humanitarian conditions in Kenya to ensure appropriate assistance. If the current rains continue, USAID programming will focus on recovery. However, if the rains fail and humanitarian conditions deteriorate, USAID will continue to provide emergency assistance to affected populations. BELLAMY