Kenya’s landscape is a diverse mix of snow-capped mountains, arid desert and fertile plains. But behind the spectacular scenery and wildlife lies a country struggling with chronic rural poverty. More than 16 million Kenyans live on less than $1 a day, with around 52% living below the national poverty line.

Food Crisis
Severe droughts have plagued Kenya for many years and in January 2006 a food crisis emerged in the northern regions. Seventeen districts experienced severe food and water shortages and around 3.5 million Kenyans urgently needed food aid to survive.

Malnutrition was particularly serious amongst young children, pregnant and nursing mothers and the elderly. Weakened by hunger, these people were more vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria.

Mandera, in the north-east, was one of the worst-affected districts. Most of Mandera’s population are nomadic pastoralists, who rely on livestock for survival. Thousands of animals died during the food crisis, leaving many pastoralists destitute.

Recovery from the food crisis has been hampered by increased migration to urban areas and a serious outbreak of diarrhoea in May 2006. However, the recent rains in Mandera have meant that new vegetation is growing and surviving animals are regaining strength.

Islamic Relief in Kenya
Islamic Relief’s Orphans Sponsorship programme has been running in Kenya since 1993. More than 500 orphans are currently being sponsored.

In February 2006 IR registered a field office in Mandera and began an emergency relief programme to help people affected by the food crisis. Projects in the early stages included water-tankering to rural areas and providing over 5,000 malnourished people with supplementary feeding.

With the emergency phase now over, IR’s current projects are focused on the needs of the most vulnerable: children under 5, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

IR is working in partnership with the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) on a water, nutrition and sanitation programme for 2007. ECHO is providing €500,000 towards the project, which will help around 52,000 people in Mandera.

In January 2007 IR launched an urgent appeal for 27,000 mosquito nets to protect women and children from Rift Valley Fever. This deadly virus affects livestock and can be spread to people via mosquitoes or contact with infected animals.