This photo, taken on Feb. 28, 2023, shows the horns of livestock after their corpses were cremated near a livestock market in Kajiado County, Kenya. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)
Kenya has lost some 2.61 million livestock to drought in the past months as the crisis worsens in arid and semi-arid areas, according to the National Drought Management Authority.
NAIROBI, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has lost some 2.61 million livestock to drought in the past months as the crisis worsens in arid and semi-arid areas, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said in a report Thursday.
The NDMA said the number is about 5 percent of all the animals in arid and semi-arid areas, which totaled 52.8 million.
The most affected animals that have died due to starvation in two worst-hit counties, namely Marsabit and Kajiado, were sheep and cattle, said the NDMA in its February update on the crisis. "The drought situation continued to worsen in 22 out of the 23 arid counties. This is attributed to the poor performance of the 2022 short rains coupled with four consecutive failed rainfall seasons," the NDMA said.
This photo, taken on Feb. 28, 2023, shows a Maasai trader gazing at emaciated livestock at a livestock market in Kajiado County, Kenya. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)
According to the agency, pasture in the arid areas is completely depleted, worsened by high temperatures.
Kenya has ramped up drought mitigation responses, with Rebecca Miano, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, noting that the government has released 2 billion Kenyan shillings (about 15.68 million U.S. dollars) to secure relief food distribution.
Kenya is one of the countries in the Horn of Africa region that has been hit harder by the worst drought in about 30 years, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with up to 5 million citizens facing starvation. The other two affected Horn of Africa countries are Somalia and Ethiopia. ■
