Kilifi, KENYA: Thousands of residents in Ganze Sub-county in Kilifi County are requesting well-wishers to help them with emergency relief food to counter the ongoing hunger.
This is as a result of the prolonged drought experienced in the last few years especially 2017 when it was reported to be severe.
Speaking in Wacho village, far off a distance from Bamba town, Saidi Charo Jeffah said the situation is not pleasing as Maize and Cassava failed to yield and thousands of livestock died in the hands of prolonged drought.
In this area, they mostly depend on pastoralism and Maize and Cassava farming.
“As I am talking now, I counted my livestock that died and totaled to 33, during the last year’s drought, and water sources have dried up forcing women to walk long distances in search of the basic commodity,” said Jeffah.
The situation in Bamba is very tough and trees dams have dried up due to climate change.
Jeffah, says they have also been depending on Charcoal burning but now trees have dried up and almost finished due to the large numbers of people involved in the activity.
“There’s nothing we can do to salvage the situation in this area as our only alternative (Charcoal burning) has hit a stumbling block following the lack of trees,” he said.
Another elder, Manyeso Kazungu, says should they not get food in the near future residents would die.
He says children are among the residents who are facing starvation.
“We have nothing to depend on as of now. Hunger is at a high level here and should we not get food from the government and well-wishers we are only waiting for death to take us,” Kazungu said.
Recently, Kilifi County Commissioner Magu Mutundika said more than three hundred residents are facing starvation.
He also added that they had already received relief food from China, but until now the food is yet to be distributed to them.
