Drought-stricken Kerio in northern Kenya. Photograph: Unicef
David Bull, the executive director of Unicef UK, is visiting Turkana, northern Kenya. This is the third and final instalment of his diary. Read part one and part two.
"Let Unicef not get tired," said one of the members of the women's group I met this morning.
Well, I hope we will not let her down, and that our supporters will see the value of the help we are providing here in northern Kenya. There has been a lot of debate about well drilling programmes.
This morning we saw what can happen if it is not done effectively - the wells we saw were not maintained and had fallen into disuse. So one part of Unicef's work has been to rehabilitate these dormant wells, training the women's group to maintain the pump, and combining this with good hygiene practices and the provision of water filters so children can access clean water and not get sick. They can also use some of the water to irrigate small kitchen gardens to provide some food, and then eventually perhaps some income for their families. The result is better health for the children and a greater capacity to withstand drought. So far this simple scheme is reaching 5,000 households - we need to reach 50,000.
But right now we are facing an emergency and we need to try to save those at risk before it is too late, even while we continue our long-term development work.
Today, we saw the impact of the drought in the most forceful way.
We drove for two hours through a land more dry, hot and parched than is imaginable, arriving at Kangagetei dispensary, a remote health post in the worst-affected Kerio Division. It was hard to imagine that anyone could possibly survive in the scorching heat of this drought-stricken environment, but families emerged from the landscape, bringing their children to be assessed for malnutrition and given a range of health checks.
Each child is measured and weighed. If they are less than 70% of the normal weight for their height, they are classed as severely malnourished and enter a therapeutic feeding programme. If they are 70-80% they are moderately malnourished and are kept under observation by volunteers from the community until the next visit in two weeks' time. About half the children here were in the 70-80% category. They will probably be below 70% in two weeks' time if they don't get the supplementary feeding they need, which is not yet reaching all those at risk.
Lomeyana Longaria, four, being weighed at
Kangagetei dispensary. Photograph: Unicef
One child was just on 70% and was admitted to the emergency feeding programme, delivered by the agency Merlin using supplies provided by Unicef. Lomeyana Longaria is four years old and has been looked after by her aunt since her mother died in childbirth in December. She was given a test for malaria (clear), then immunisations, vitamin A and other micronutrients, and a de-worming pill. But most importantly she was given Plumpy'nut, a new nutritional emergency food supplied by Unicef - first to test if she has any appetite, and then enough sachets to have five a day for the two weeks until her next visit.
Lomeyana's family have no animals as a result of the long drought - they used to have goats, sheep, camels and donkeys. They have been living on wild fruits and handouts from neighbours who are only a little better off. But now even the fruits have been used up. I asked her aunt what she would do now - she looked straight at me and said, "We are waiting for death".
Well - not if I can help it. I am leaving this area tomorrow and will return to the UK determined to raise awareness of the crisis emerging here, and to do what I can to find the resources that are so desperately needed. There can be a future for these people, they are hardy and resilient and, as this morning's visit showed, there are sustainable livelihoods to be had even in this harsh environment if the right help is given. We simply cannot ignore their plight. There remains a huge amount to do if we are to prevent this situation deteriorating further. Today, I hope we have saved Lomeyana's life, but her family and community need much more help to get through this crisis and rebuild their livelihoods.
As the woman said this morning "let Unicef not get tired". Please let our supporters and donors not get tired, because we and the people of northern Kenya need your help right now.
Donations to Unicef's East Africa Children's Crisis Appeal can be made by calling 08457 312 312 or by visiting http://www.unicef.org.uk.
