The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said it will continue to distribute water to families affected by the drought in Garissa.
UNHCR Head of Operations Aicha Limama said the organization will supply water to 16 villages within Dadaab sub-county that will be used to benefit both humans and livestock as the drought situation escalates.
Ms Limama said UNHCR will also rehabilitate several boreholes within Dadaab to ensure the residents and their livestock get access to clean and safe drinking water.
“Our long term strategy is to drill more boreholes to cater for the growing number of people in need of water as the drought continues to worsen,” she said.
Limama was speaking in Garissa town at a meeting that was held by various stakeholders including the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).
Red Cross Regional Head Sahal Abdi said its organization has put in place measures to reduce the effects of drought on the residents.
Abdi said they will support the off take programme that was launched by the national government through the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) to buy livestock from herders affected by the drought
The initiative by the national government was launched in a move aimed at helping reduce the massive loses the pastoralists would have incurred in the event their animals die.
“We have so far purchased 280 cattle and 500 goats in Ijara Sub County. We will scale up depending on the need,” Abdi said.