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Turkana families face starvation as drought wipes out herds
Lotkoy Ebey once owned 50 goats in northwestern Kenya's Turkana County. Now, only five remain after a relentless drought dried up pastures and decimated livestock-a cornerstone of survival in the region.
Uneven rains offer little relief
While recent rainfall has brought flash floods to parts of Kenya, Turkana has seen sporadic showers at best. Officials from the National Drought Management Authority warn the downpours are too erratic and insufficient to reverse the damage of two failed rainy seasons.
Across East Africa, the drought has left 26 million people facing extreme hunger, according to Oxfam. In Turkana, dry riverbeds and barren grazing fields tell the story of a crisis that has spared no one.
Hunger forces families to forage for survival
Ebey, in her early 50s, now eats just one meal a day-if she's lucky. Some days, she goes without food for five days, venturing into the scrubland to scavenge for anything edible. Her mother last ate a small lunch yesterday and has had nothing since.
With aid distributions dwindling, families like Ebey's are left to fend for themselves. Under a tree in Kakwanyang village, women pound wild doum palm fruits-known locally as mikwamo-to fill their stomachs. The fruit, usually a snack for herding boys, now serves as a last resort.
"I don't know who brought this hunger, it's too severe. We eat these because of hunger."
Regina Ewute Lokopuu, Kakwanyang resident
Lokopuu, who has lost 19 of her 20 goats, warns the fruit can cause drowsiness and stomach pain if eaten in excess. On rare occasions, families mix it with maize flour bought from selling brooms made from doum leaves.
Men migrate in search of pasture as women plead for help
In Latimani village, Kerio Ilikol has gone three days without food. A neighbor's meager offering barely lasted a meal. When journalists arrive, Akale Helen rushes forward, her voice desperate.
"Help, help, help us now that you've come to visit us. We don't have food, we are very hungry, and even goats don't have food."
Akale Helen, Latimani resident
With few men left in the villages, those able to travel have taken their remaining livestock across borders in search of pasture. The county's drought management team estimates 320,000 people urgently need food assistance.
Relief efforts fall short amid vast need
Jacob Letosiro of Turkana's drought management team cautions that recent rains may be off-season and won't immediately replenish water sources or revive grazing lands. Nationwide, three million Kenyans are affected.
At a Red Cross warehouse near Lodwar, workers load food onto trucks bound for the most vulnerable. But Rukia Abubakar, the Turkana coordinator, admits supplies are insufficient.
"We have only little food, which cannot reach all people in need. That's why we are asking partners and well-wishers to come and support the people."
Rukia Abubakar, Kenya Red Cross
The government and organizations like World Vision and the UN's World Food Programme are distributing aid, but officials warn the crisis outpaces resources. For families like Ebey's, survival depends on what little they can find in the wild.
