“One person is likely to die of hunger every 36 seconds between now and the end of the year in drought-stricken East Africa as the worst hit areas hurtle towards famine,” Oxfam International October report reads. Since the last report by the humanitarian organisation in May 2022, the situation has become more severe. With more than 6 million children across Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, are already suffering from acute malnutrition.

“After four seasons of failed rains, people are losing their struggle to survive their livestock have died; crops have failed, and food prices have been pushed ever higher by the war in Ukraine. The alarm has been sounding for months, but donors are yet to wake up to the terrible reality. People are suffering because of changes to the climate that they did nothing to cause. Rich nations which have done most to contribute to the climate crisis have a moral responsibility to protect people from the damage they have caused,” Parvin Ngala, Oxfam Horn East and Central Africa Regional Director said.

The Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua while meeting with members drawn from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) stated the government urgently needs two billion shillings to help in mitigating the impact of the ongoing drought in the country. During the meeting, the DP launched the “Pamoja Tuungane Initiative”,

“The situation is dire that’s the truth. Everywhere we are sending people to distribute food. The smell of dead livestock is now sitting. Kenyans are becoming helpless and I am calling you please, to dig a little deeper in your pockets and see what you can do,” he remarked.