SAMBURU DISTRICT SHORT RAINS ASSESSMENT JANUARY 2006

Transcription

1 SAMBURU DISTRICT SHORT RAINS ASSESSMENT JANUARY 2006 Assessment Team: Sammy Maritim Mary Mwale James Kamunge Ministry of Water and Irrigation Ministry of Agriculture World Food Program

2 3.0 PROVISIONALFOOD AID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAMBURU DISTRICT 3.1 Summary of Recommendations Rationale for Emergency Food and Non-Food Recommendations The recommendations of the team were based on the impact of the short rains on food security indicators, coping strategies to access food or prevent starvation and the ongoing interventions at the district level. Coping strategies The current drought stress has caused the communities in the district to resort to the following coping mechanisms: Reduction of meal size (porridge) and one meal per day, Slaughter of weak animals Consumption of dead livestock Distress sales of Livestock, Prostitution Petty trade especially local brews. Child labour(girls as house maids and boys as herders) Migration in search of pasture, Permanent out migration from settlement Charcoal burning and fire wood selling for those near urban centers, Killing of calves to safe mothers Sharing of relief food, consumption of livestock blood, docking(cutting of tail) for consumption of adult sheep Sand harvesting near major town centers, Cooking and eating of Lordo leaves, eating of wild fruits Eating of game meat e.g., Antelopes, zebras, Tortoise Remittances Rationale for increased Food Aid 1. Long rains in 2005 was below normal and lead to very poor pasture and browse regeneration. 2. Total failure of 2005 Short rains. 3. Livestock especially cattle have migrated to far away from the settlements( Some to Mount Kenya, Abadares, Suguta Valley in Turkana, Kapendo in Baringo and to hills and plateaus in the district. 4. Calving, Kinding and Lambing has decreased significantly and hence milk production has reduced to almost nil. 5. Reduced purchasing power of pastoralists due to poor livestock prices caused by poor body conditions, high supply of livestock to markets, few livestock buyers/traders. 6. limitedwild fruits due to the drought. Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment 2 Teams are tentative and subject to the

3 7. High malnutrition rates 8. Increased distress coping mechanisms Food Interventions An emergency food intervention is recommended targeting % of the populations in the pastoral livelihood zones in the district. Until July No food aid is recommended for the Agro-Pastoral LZs in Kirisia and Lorroki Divisions. Agro-pastoral areas had a good harvest of maize and beans during the 2005 Long rains. The food aid should be inform of GFD, the district could change to FFW if the if the rains come on time (early April 2006). This is important especially for Baragoi and Nyiro divisions where FFW activities was stopped by DSG (due to high levels of food insecurity) in December 2005 before completion of projects that they started. Food Aid Interventions Division Vulner Food ability Insecurity Rankin g of division Range of % populatio n Requirin g Food Locations Possib le Food ration Possible Non Food Interventions See below table for other Non Food interventions aid Nyiro 1 High All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Waso 2 High All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Baragoi 3 High All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Wamba 4 High All 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Lorroki 5 Low in Agropastora l LZ Kirimon Lodokejek Amaiya 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Kirisia 6 Low in Agropastoral LZ Barsaloi Lbukoi Opiroi 75% GFD January to April, FFW May-July Emergency Non-Food Interventions a) Agricultural seeds Promotion of drought resistant crops in Agro-pastoral LZs is practiced the district and do not have seeds to plant in the coming long rains season. Crops seed is recommended to assist these farmers start of. b) Livestock Off-take Animal conditions are fair to good. The livestock body conditions are expected to deteriorate as the dry spell progresses. The farmers fear that some of the weak animals may succumb to drought and livestock diseases in the district. The district would like to de-stock 6000 cattle, goats and sheep that are at the risk of dying from drought at a cost of KShs 26.5 million. c) Livestock Vaccinations. Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment 3 Teams are tentative and subject to the

4 Comprehensive Livestock vaccination campaign against Anthrax in Wamba division should be carried out as an emergency at a cost of KSHs.500,000/=. d) Disease surveillance Intensify diseases surveillance along the grazing regions and extension services on effective control of tick borne diseases and other livestock diseases to save herders from high livestock losses. e)water tankering Provision of 2-additional water tankers for water trucking to 14 water stress areas Long Term Non-Food Interventions De-silting of water earth pans. Pasture seed provision Monitoring required a) The onsets of the Long rains (March-May) need to be monitored. Delay of the start of the rains could lead to more populations getting food insecure. b) Monitoring of livestock diseases in grazing areas. An outbreak of notifiable diseases could cause mass deaths of livestock concentrated in the grazing. c) Nutritional status of the vulnerable groups children under five years. d) Insecurity in the grazing areas. Summary of Non-Food Interventions Type of Activity Estimated intervention Costs (Ksh) Emergency Intervention 1 Seeds Maize -----MT@ /Kg Beans MT@ /Kg Cowpeas ----MT@ /Kg Green-grams ---MT@ /Kg Sorghum MT@ /Kg Pigeon peas---mt@ /kg Comments Supply of seeds before the onset of long rains. 2 Livestock offtake 3 Intesification of disease surveillance. 4 Vaccinations against Anthrax Off-take of 6000 cattle, KShs 60M 5,000 per animal, 60,000 goats and sheep at KShs500 Fuel and subsistence allowances for 12 weeks ,000 doses of Blanthrax vaccine 300,000 Targeted livestock in the district. Surveillance to detect outbreak of notifiable diseases. High incidences of livestock diseases and deaths in the grazing areas. Doses for 20,000 cattle in Wamba division Logistical support 192,000 5 Water Fuel,, fast moving spare parts 2.175M Provision of domestic water to 14 tankering and allowances. stress areas. 6 Fuel subsidy 28-Water boreholes 2.13M Assist in running of water supplies. Long Term Interventions 1 Planting of Seed To enhance pasture regeneration on pasture seeds Check budget degraded land. Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment 4 Teams are tentative and subject to the

5 2 De-silting of --- water pans and earth dams 3 Drilling additional 4 boreholes Increase the capacity of the water pans. Drilling and Equipping strategic boreholes. 12M Supplement water supply. Disclaimer: The recommendations of the National Assessment 5 Teams are tentative and subject to the