Worsening drought in Kenya's arid areas leaves millions at risk of starvation

The drought situation has deteriorated in 20 out of 23 counties in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), leaving millions at risk of starvation, Kenya's National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said on Monday.

The NDMA, a government agency responsible for drought mitigation, said the situation has worsened due to the poor performance of the 2024 short rainy season.

"The 20 counties are classified in the 'normal' drought phase, but on a worsening trend," the NDMA said in its drought report for January 2025.

The agency further observed that the nutrition situation among children under five in the affected areas showed a deteriorating trend.

According to the NDMA, up to 1.8 million people in Kenya's ASALs were food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance at the end of 2024 as the areas endured the severe effects of climate change. Meanwhile, about 500,000 children under five and over 100,000 pregnant women in the areas were malnourished and in need of treatment.

Some 67.4 million people are food insecure across the Horn of Africa, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional bloc. While a majority of those facing food insecurity are mainly in Sudan and other conflict-affected countries, Kenya contributes a sizable number to the population as about half of the country's lands are semi-arid.

(Cover: Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. /VCG)