Severe drought in the Northern parts of Kenya, and people are dying due to hunger in Garrisa, Kenya. Livestock is starving due to a lack of water. Children and women walk long distances in order to fetch water.
More than 13 million people are being pushed into severe hunger due to the ongoing drought.
The world is celebrating Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan; a lack of rain and food prices skyrocketing globally following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have left many families in Kenya struggling to provide the Iftar, which ends their daily fast.
One of the women,’ Saida Katana, 64, of Ksangatifu village, makes a drink for Iftar, and she stated that she was in worry because, at this age, she is struggling hard she feeds her family. Her husband died, and her two sons are disabled due to an accident. She has a work in which she does labouring and grows tomatoes, but still, she has left with no food for this Ramadan.
She says: In past, We used to have food because we pumped water and harvested leafy, green vegetables. But now, even acquiring vegetables is a problem. There is drought; there is not even grass for grazing.’
Furthermore, she added,” ‘Yesterday our family did not take Iftar because I did not have anything to cook. There is water available in the river, but when there is no money for the fuel, you can not pump water, and we cannot grow crops.’ Islamic Relief contributed to buying a water pump and pipes for the community. Katana received chickens and goats to help her take care of her family.
According to Shakila, 44, Ksangatifu, makes bananas for iftar. All the family helped to purchase flour for ugali, which they will also eat for Iftar. Shakila has a few animals given to her by Islamic Relief. ‘When things are tight and not in our hands, we sell one of the goats and use that money to support ourselves.
Meanwhile, they are producing,’ she says, ‘but if I keep selling my goats, I will spend all the money and then I will be finished. And when a problem arrives, how will I survive?’
