Children die as starvation escalates in Laikipia West

Nairobi: Kenya. 

Starvation and draught has hit point of concerns as two children die in a internally displaced camp  in  Laikipia West district last week. 

400Km North of Nairobi lies Lorola camp for Samburu and Olmoran camp of Pokots. The two rival communities have been in conflict over pastures and have been living in forest for the last four years.

With a population of over 12000 people, 5000 being children Lorola camp and Olmoran camp face a major humanitarian crisis as over 400 children aged between 1-12 years  are at risk of death due to hunger and diseases. 

The situation has further worsened as torrential rains hit the semi arid areas prompting the rise of pneumonia and common colds among children in the camps calling for immediate medical assistance.

The drought comes on top of the worst ethnic conflict seen for many years in the troubled region, particularly in much of Olmoran division, Luoniek, Magadi and Maundu Meri areas of Laikipia West district with the government focusing more effort on the recently displaced people in other areas neglecting the pastoral families who are in dire need of relief measures. 

One of the refugees at the  Lorola camp, Mzee Peter Lombare to the Nation that the families have been feeding their children with meat and milk from their fast diminishing livestock since they have nothing else to give them and treating them with herbs but the situation has now worsened beyond their control.

"We need help. Our children have started dying, hundreds of our cows and goats have died due to drought." he said. 

He added that the families are now facing a bigger challenge as elephants pass through their grazing fields as they migrate from the Northern corridor to areas of Gatundia and Ruathia heading to Aberdare national park.

This comes barely two weeks after a United Nations agency released a report that three million children in the arid, marginalized region are at risk of death, disease or the long-term consequences of malnutrition.

 

 

According to one of the locals, the refugees are gradually turning hostile against anyone approaching the area as they consider the area theirs. 

One has to carry a well known mediator to communicate with the families about his intentions and for him to be accepted as their visitor.

A local leader John Elman called for immediate humanitarian assistance from well wishers and called for the ministry of special programme to move swiftly to save the catastrophe.

Laikipia West District Commission Fredrick Sisha confirmed his knowledge about the suffering families saying that the issue is 'very complex and need time' to reconcile the two communities. 

"I know their situation and the government is looking into ways of solving the problem once and for all. I have been meeting the two communities leaders and were are deliberating the way forward as a government." said Sisha.  

The families are now pleading with the government to help them move back to their homes so that they can go on with their former lives.