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Viewing cable 06NAIROBI1514, OFDA VISIT TO KENYA'S MARSABIT DISTRICT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06NAIROBI1514 2006-04-05 11:43 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Nairobi
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NAIROBI 001514 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
AID/DCHA FOR WGARVELINK, LROGERS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, CGOTTSCHALK, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, SBRADLEY, NESTES, NCOX 
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, SMCCLURE 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
 
TAGS: EAID KE SOCI SENV ETRD EAGR ECON PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: OFDA VISIT TO KENYA'S MARSABIT DISTRICT 
 
Summary 
 
1.  An acute dry season, amplified by poor seasonal 
rains last November is eroding livelihoods and food 
security of pastoralist populations in Kenya's Marsabit 
District.  Livestock numbers have declined due to the 
lack of access to pasture and water.  Tribal conflict is 
preventing many pastoralists from utilizing traditional 
dry season coping mechanisms.  The Government of Kenya 
(GOK) and several NGOs are responding to the 
humanitarian needs of more than 80 percent of the 
district's population.  Failure of the coming long 
season rains will eliminate remaining animals for many 
already marginalized pastoralists and cause significant 
numbers to migrate to the district's urban areas in 
search of assistance. End Summary 
 
2.  OFDA Regional Advisor traveled throughout Marsabit 
District March 21-24.  The district borders with 
Ethiopia, is inhabited primarily by pastoralist tribes 
entirely dependent on livestock for food security and 
livelihoods, and is extremely underdeveloped. 
USAID/OFDA met with several NGOs working in the area, 
talked with District officials, drought monitoring 
entities and spoke with pastoralists in several 
locations. 
 
Current Situation 
 
3.  Almost 80 percent of Marsabit District's population 
of 136,000 is receiving or being targeted for food 
assistance.  The Kenyan Red Cross (KRC) is the emergency 
lead agency and distributing commodities from both the 
World Food Program and GOK pipelines.  The KRC reported 
no beneficiary overlap in the two programs but some 
delays with respect to deliveries of pulses and oil. 
The Regional Advisor attended a GOK commodity 
distribution in Balessa settlement and found that 
beneficiaries were registered appropriately, and there 
were multiple commodities available, however quantities 
distributed were below the 2100 kilocalorie/person/day 
standard.  Beneficiaries throughout the district 
confirmed receipt of rations but complained about 
inadequate quantities. 
 
4.  The District Commissioner reported there are 38 
health centers in the district and several visited were 
functioning.  Each health post was staffed, had basic 
pharmaceuticals with adequate expiration dates, cold 
chain facilities and available surveillance data. 
Immunization rates in the Bubisa and Torbi Divisions 
were above 90 percent according to local immunization 
records at the health posts. 
 
5.  Health officers reported that the major morbidities 
are respiratory infections, malaria and diarrheal 
disease, but have not seen a significant increase in the 
number of patients.  There were no reports of measles 
outbreak.  Health clinics are not overwhelmed with 
patients and everyone is attended to despite the ability 
to pay fees.  Some complaints were heard about the price 
of medications unavailable at the health centers that 
need to be purchased at local pharmacies. 
 
6.  There has been no objective measurement of current 
conditions with respect to malnutrition.  UNICEF 
initiated a nutritional survey last week and results are 
expected by April 15.  Health centers refer malnutrition 
cases to NGO supplemental feeding programs, and severe 
cases are sent to the Marsabit District hospital.  The 
Bubisa health authorities reported that about eight 
percent of the children in its constituency were 
receiving supplemental foods. 
 
7.  Twenty eight boreholes are scattered throughout the 
district to serve the nomadic pastoralist populations. 
The DC reported that all are functioning, and that three 
drilling rigs had arrived in the area to drill another 
16 boreholes.  At wells visited, local water committees 
confirmed they were receiving fuel and spare parts from 
the GOK and pumps were generally running about 20 hours 
per day.  Boreholes visited were not overwhelmed by 
animals, however, a system of rotation for watering was 
in place and herders have designated times to bring 
animals. 
 
8.  Water tankering is being carried out by four 
organizations in the district, and there were several 
tanks on the sides of roads that are filled by the 
tankering activity.  A recent donation by the Norwegians 
of seven water trucks will arrive in April. 
 
9.  Livestock has been particularly affected by the 
current crisis.  The GOK estimates that 50 percent of 
the cattle and small stock have perished, however, no 
objective surveys have been carried out to date.  There 
were several carcasses (mostly cattle) on the roads 
traveled and numerous abandoned goats that were too weak 
to keep up with the main herds. 
 
10.  The lack of pasture is the biggest problem 
affecting the livestock in the district.  Although there 
are functioning boreholes, the pasture in the vicinity 
has been consumed.  There is significant pasture in some 
areas of the district, however, no water exists and 
there is an issue of insecurity.  Many pastoralists 
reported that their herds, which once numbered in the 
hundreds, were now down to 20 or 30 animals.  Rain has 
begun to fall in Marsabit, but temperature change and 
subsequent pneumonia continues to kill many already 
weakened livestock. 
 
11.  Coordination of the emergency response appears to 
be good in Marsabit.  The District Commissioner heads a 
group (District Steering Group) that meets weekly with 
implementation partners to plan humanitarian operations. 
The group recently recommended increasing the number of 
food recipients from 105,000 to 120,000 (or almost 90 
percent of the population).  There was no detail from 
the DC?s Office on how District Contingency Funds 
($400,000) were being applied to the emergency. 
 
Conflict 
 
12.  The Gabra tribe is the predominant ethnic group in 
the district, and was victimized in July 2005 when 
neighboring Borana raiders murdered more than 90 people 
in Turbi center.  Local sources report the conflict was 
not sparked so much by a lack of resources, but by 
political positioning.  The fighting has continued on a 
smaller scale over the last year, which contradicts the 
historical relationship between the two that included 
intermarriage and sharing of natural resources.  Due to 
the conflict, traditional drought coping mechanisms of 
migrating animals have been impeded.  Gabra pastoralist 
are unable, or are in fear of, grazing animals in areas 
currently with pasture and water due to fear of attack 
from Borana tribesmen. 
 
Boom and Bust Cycle 
 
13.  Several village elders described a livestock boom 
and bust cycle experienced by local herdsmen that began 
around 1970.  Despite a regular appeal from the GOK in 
Nairobi for drought assistance, local elders said they 
experienced real drought every six or seven years. 
Current conditions are similar to those experienced in 
1972, 1992, and 2000, and that intervals were becoming 
shorter.  The drought period will usually reduce stocks 
of goats and cattle by 80 percent, followed by several 
years of normal conditions that eventually replenish 
herd sizes.  Local estimates are that it will take five 
years for pastoralist to recover what was lost recently 
to the current dry spell. 
 
Solutions to Current Predicament 
 
14.  Both GOK and village elders highlighted the need 
for development progress to break the boom and bust 
cycle affecting food security and livelihoods. 
Specifically, the need for improved roads to reduce the 
cost of transporting animals to market, livelihood 
diversification (salaried jobs to reduce dependence on 
livestock), and the need to reestablish a ?meat 
commission? (as was available in the past) as an outlet 
to sell animals on a regular basis, stabilize prices for 
animals, and smooth household income. 
 
Coping Mechanisms and Dependency on Natural Events 
 
15.  Traditional coping mechanisms for drought in 
Marsabit include migration of herds, and the 
slaughtering of goats and camels for food (milk is the 
primary food source in normal times).  UNICEF reported 
that there was no evidence that pastoralists had begun 
to slaughter animals to cope, and many retained animals 
in hope of improvements from the oncoming Long Rain 
season. 
 
16.  During the visit, we found little evidence of 
pastoralists attempts to mitigate the affects of the dry 
season.  There were no local initiatives to improve the 
depths of water pans, improved water storage, or off 
take of livestock before conditions deteriorated.  Some 
herders explained they had sold a few extra goats last 
season to pay for water at the boreholes.  Populations 
are entirely at the mercy of the weather?s ability to 
provide natural water points and pasture; and donor 
funded NGO activity. 
 
Conclusions / Recommendations 
 
17.  There is a high risk that a failure of the rains in 
the next long rain season will eliminate remaining 
stocks for a large percentage of pastoralists? herds 
already affected by the dry conditions.  Pastoralists 
with 10-15 remaining animals could lose everything 
unless natural conditions quickly improve, thus forcing 
families into local towns to become indefinitely 
dependent on emergency aid.  Targeted feeding of core 
animals for vulnerable pastoralists until rains 
regenerate pasture would prevent many from losing their 
entire herd and reduce migration to towns for 
assistance. 
 
18.  Emergency distributions of food to pastoralist 
families will need to continue until rains have 
recharged pasture and livestock stabilizes.  The normal 
start of the long rain season is early April.  Although 
the targeting and delivery mechanisms are in place, 
USAID will need to monitor food pipeline conditions. 
 
19.  Continued financial support will be needed to 
maintain boreholes and tanker water to affected families 
until the Long Rains arrive.  USAID/OFDA will continue 
to support UNICEF programs targeting emergency water 
interventions.  Water storage at schools and health 
facilities needs to be improved to support school 
feeding programs and health care assistance.  GOK plans 
to drill 16 more boreholes in pastoralist areas should 
reduce competition for water from animals in the long 
term, however, completion of this objective needs to be 
monitored. 
 
20.  Nutritional results will be available mid April. 
The results will direct GOK and UNICEF as to the numbers 
needing emergency nutritional support.  USAID/OFDA will 
continue to support UNICEF emergency nutritional 
interventions. 
 
21.  Carefully targeted animal restocking activities may 
be appropriate after the next rainy season and once the 
current environment has had time to recover and 
stabilize. 
 
22.  Government investment is needed in the district to 
break the boom and bust cycle of drought for pastoral 
communities.  Introduction of livelihood 
diversification, improved transport infrastructure and 
marketing opportunities for the sale of livestock to 
smooth price variations would ease the affect of future 
dry periods. 
 
BELLAMY