East Africa Drought (Kenya) - CARE Canada Response 2011

26 July 2011- The year 2011 is proving to be the driest year since 1951 in many parts of east Africa as a result of an increasingly severe drought. Successive seasons of failed rains combined with increasing food prices conflict and limited humanitarian access have resulted in food insecurity water shortages and acute malnutrition rates well above emergency thresholds. Between 11 and 12 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance in Djibouti Ethiopia Kenya and Somalia. With CIDA support CARE Canada is addressing the water and sanitation needs of an estimated 96 000 members of drought-affected pastoralist and refugee hosting communities living around Garissa and Wajir in north eastern Kenya. By rehabilitating local water sources for both human and livestock consumption CARE is protecting both the lives and livelihoods of the beneficiary communities and mitigating the worst effects of the drought.