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Governor declares drought a county emergency

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By: Ahmed Abdirashid Haji, in Mandera

The Mandera County governor Cpt Ali Roba has declared drought a county disaster.

“The current drought was precipitated by delay of the short rains. The status has since moved from alert to emergency,” the governor said.

Governor cpt Ali Roba while addressing the public on Jamuhuri day.

Governor Cpt Ali Roba while addressing the public event in Mandera. PHOTO/ Courtesy

He added that the pasture situation throughout the county is poor in terms of quantity, quality and availability.

“The livestock body condition is rated as poor with cattle most affected as well as sheeps and goats.
“The body immunity for the livestock is poor due to lack of pasture and increase in worm and ecto- parasite load thus the county is in a diseased state with high chances of disease outbreaks,” the Ali Roba, who chairs the Council of Governors committee on Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties said on Thursday.

Under the emergency status, the county government would undertake the purchase of 70,000 bales of hay to be distributed to the most affected pastoral communities in the county and initiate water tracking for livestock to reduce the trekking distance to water from 36 km to 14 km.
Roba’s administration will also undertake massive vaccination and deworming of livestock countywide .

The county government trucks water to 141 centres which includes 15 strategic water points where water is delivered to livestock.

“We are doing this because the pasture has moved away from water points,” he said.

We are now covering 63000 households for relief food distribution,”  he said, adding that the figure represents 6.15% of the total population being targeted.

Roba said the program targets the highest number of beneficiaries compared to other actors in the relief activities in the county.

 

 

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