USAID/OFDA ASSESSMENT OF KENYA'S SAMBURU

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002174

SIPDIS

AIDAC

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/E, EPRATT
USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA, WGARVELINK, LROGERS
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, PMORRIS, CGOTTSCHALK,
KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, PMOHAN, DNELSON
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, JESCALONA
USUN FOR EMALY
ADDIS ABABA FOR JAUGSBURGER
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID SO KE ET
SUBJECT: USAID/OFDA ASSESSMENT OF KENYA'S SAMBURU
DISTRICT


Summary


1. Consistent rains over the past month have improved
pasture and natural water points that are critical to
the largely pastoralist population in Kenya's Samburu
District. However, according to district officials,
ethnic conflict and cattle theft have displaced an
estimated 20,000 people in the western part of the
district, impeding humanitarian recovery after several
months of dry conditions. In addition, the UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that malnutrition
rates in Samburu are above emergency levels, and the
local health care infrastructure is under resourced.
Limited access to water in sufficient quantities for
livestock and residents continues to hamper
communities' livelihoods and developmental progress.
USAID/OFDA has provided USD 792,000 to UNICEF for
health, nutrition, and water activities, and recommends
that a portion of these funds target emergency
nutrition, health, and water improvements in Samburu
District. End Summary.

Current Situation


2. Samburu District is located in arid northwestern
Kenya and mostly comprised of Massai and Samburu
pastoralists, whose livelihoods depend on raising
cattle and goats. Twenty percent of the district's
population engage in farming, and agriculture is
concentrated in the western highland areas where corn
and sorghum are commonly grown. Last season short rains
were poor in the district and local officials estimate
that at least 20 percent of livestock perished as a
result of the dry conditions. USAID supports general
distributions to 63,000 food insecure people out of a
total district population of 169,000, through the UN
World Food program (WFP),and nutrition, immunization,
and primary health care through UNICEF.


3. Samburu District is included in the Government of
Kenya's (GOK) February 2006 Humanitarian Appeal for the
drought emergency. USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor and
Information Officer traveled to Samburu on May 9 and 10
to assess conditions in the district. The team was
accompanied by International Medical Corps' Country
Director and a representative from the Arid Lands
Resource Management Project (ALRMP),the GOK's early
warning office.


4. Rains have fallen regularly in the district since
mid-April, with parts of Samburu receiving 300 percent
of normal rain levels for April, according to the
USAID-supported Famine Early Warning System Network
(FEWS NET) and US Geological Survey. The USAID team
noted that pasture is prevalent and natural water
points are providing water for livestock and people.
The Arid Lands Office reported water tankering activity
has mostly been curtailed since the rains began. The
team saw several natural water pans with water being
used by livestock.


5. Attacks from the neighboring Pokot tribes coincided
with the start of rainfall in April. According to
district officials, raiding parties from West Pokot
District have been responsible for the theft of several
hundred cattle in Samburu and the death of an
unconfirmed number of residents. Local authorities
attribute the attacks to "restocking" of cattle by
pastoralists who lost a significant number of animals
during the recent dry period.



6. District officials report that growing insecurity
has forced an estimated 20,000 Samburu residents from
their homes into the urban areas of Maralal and Kisimo.
Although temporary shelters were seen by the assessment
team, numbers were far below what would be needed to
accommodate government estimates of 20,000 people
displaced. The Arid Lands Office claimed that a
majority of the displaced had moved in with relatives.
District police and GOK military have recently launched
a campaign in the area to confiscate weapons in order
to reduce the violence.


7. The displacement is said to be slowing Samburu's
recovery process following several months of drought
conditions. The majority of those affected by
insecurity live in the agricultural western areas of
the district, and the violence is preventing them from
planting and tending agricultural fields normally
planted during the current long rain planting season.

Health and Nutrition Situation


8. In late March, UNICEF and the GOK Ministry of
Health (MOH) completed a nutritional assessment in the
district, which found 19.2 percent global acute
malnutrition (GAM) and 2.3 percent severe acute
malnutrition (SAM) in children under five. Moreover,
high rates of stunting (23.5 percent) among the under
five population indicated an extended period of under
nutrition.


9. The team visited health facilities in the district
capital of Maralal town, and in rural areas, where the
major morbidities for children are malaria, upper
respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases. The
Samburu District Public Health Nurse reported that
latrine coverage is a low 5 percent and estimated
immunization rates of 76 percent.


10. The assessment team found only two children in the
Maralal District hospital being treated for
malnutrition, and both cases were referrals from the
rural areas. The hospital had no trend data; however,
the Public Health Nurse stated that they were treating
an average of 10 to 12 cases per month. Hospital staff
suspected that many malnourished children in the rural
areas remain undetected because parents do not
recognize signs of malnutrition and only bring children
in for treatment when other symptoms develop. The
nurse concluded that better outreach and education are
needed regarding malnutrition.


11. According to the Public Health Nurse, it is normal
to have an increase in malnutrition at this time of
year, but noted that the situation is worse this year.
Thus far, there have been no deaths due to
malnutrition. The USAID team observed that treatment
protocols and medical supplies were in place at the
hospital, which did not appear to be overwhelmed.
However, hospital staff stated that deliveries of
medicines from the Federal MOH are supposed to occur
monthly, but are irregular. The team visited two rural
health posts and found no malnourished children.

Continuing Water Shortages


12. The lack of water was highlighted by local
government and beneficiaries as the major contributor
to a decline in humanitarian indicators. In the
eastern lowlands of the district, many communities rely
on tankered water from the government for the majority

of the year. Several boreholes visited by the team
were inactive, and Arid Lands estimated that only 50
percent of the district's 47 boreholes are fully
functional. The GOK has drilled several new boreholes
in the east; however, it does not appear that funds are
available to complete the projects with pumps,
generators, or a distribution system. The Arid lands
Officer reported that the budget for water
rehabilitation was limited to approximately USD 1,500
per community, or enough to continue water tankering.

Conclusions/Recommendations


13. Although rains have improved the situation in
Samburu District, livestock and human populations will
need time to recover from several months of extremely
dry conditions. General distributions of food rations
to the most-affected residents should continue through
July, or until the end of the current rain season. The
Arid Lands Office appealed to the GOK's Kenya Food
Security Steering Group to increase the number of food
aid beneficiaries from 63,000 to 120,000; however, no
answer has yet been given.


14. Conflict and animal theft have disrupted normal
planting activity and could reduce the harvest from
this year's long rain planting season. Although ethnic
conflict and theft of animals is a traditional
occurrence, it appears to be more acute this year. The
local police and military need to restore order quickly
to allow those displaced to return home and resume
their livelihoods.


15. Although there are seasonal rains twice a year in
the eastern portion of the district, communities do
little to harvest rainwater and continue to depend on
water tankering for survival. Boreholes are critical
to the area during the two seasonal dry periods.
Several of the boreholes in Samburu are either
incomplete or dilapidated and may not be productive
during the next dry season. Local government has few
resources to maintain the water infrastructure.


16. Access to water could be improved through support
for rehabilitation of boreholes and rainwater
harvesting schemes targeting rural health posts and
schools through international NGOs working in the
district. In addition, improvement of nutrition status
depends upon continued distributions from WFP, and
targeted supplementary feeding programs from UNICEF.
USAID/OFDA has provided USD 792,000 to UNICEF for
health, nutrition, and water activities, a portion of
which will support activities in Samburu District.
USAID/OFDA will continue to monitor the humanitarian
situation in the district. BELLAMY