The Kenya Red Cross Society has begun distributing relief food to about 1,000 households in the seven villages within the Boni Forest in Lamu county.
This follows drought that has hit many parts of the country.
Sh1.9 million foodstuff includes rice, beans, and cooking oil which will last the affected three weeks.
Kenya Red Cross officials led by Coast manager Hassan Musa said they also plan to do medical outreaches in the area and also go to Kilifi, Tana River and Kwale where there are many others affected families.
“This drought may go up to November or December, so this is not a disaster that will be resolved today alone, we need to look for ways in which we can support the affected families,” he said.
Apart from low crop yields, Boni forest villages are prone to attacks by the al Shabaab militia.
Over 378,000 residents from the Coast region are in dire need of relief food due to drought.
Four counties have been highly affected led by Kilifi county with 145,000 people, Kwale 130,000 while Tana River and Lamu has 78,000 and 21,000 people respectively.
Musa said they gave priority to the seven villages within Boni forest which is hard hit and has security issues due to the history of al Shabaab attacks.
The distribution begun in Pandanguo which is about 21km from Witu town deep inside the Boni forest where residents have no food and are now sharing water with wildlife in the remaining water pan that is two kilometres away from the village.
Journalists who accompanied Red Cross came face to face with the effect of the disaster as the area has no communication network, there are security issues and the roads are dilapidated making it difficult to easily access the area.
Residents said they scramble for water with wildlife at the water pan as the other water pans have dried up.
In Poromoko village which is near the Boni forest, residents have resorted to eating wild fruits as all the crops they planted withered due to the drought.
The other villages in Boni being given priority in the relief distribution include Kiangwe Bodhei junction, Milimani, Mararani, Mangai and Basuba.
The regional manager said the number is expected to double up in three months if the short rains expected from October does not rain.
He said the residents have also suffered the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and now the drought is worsening the already difficult situation.
The food distribution began in Basuba where the official said security issues due to militia attacks makes it hard for residents to access food and water.
“Many livestock have died in these four counties, and if you look at those still alive, they are very weak making it difficult for the owners to get a market to sell them,” he said.
Musa said the Red Cross together with the County and National governments departments led by National Drought Management Authority, did an assessment and resolved to support the drought victims.
Pandanguo village elder Dangoja Kanyara thanked the Red Cross for providing relief to the residents in Boni forest.
He said residents have challenges in accessing water as there is only one water pan remaining and is shared by both residents and wildlife which has often led to human-wildlife conflicts.
“We urge the county government to intervene and supply fresh water to residents as the situation is worsening daily and there are threats of human-wildlife conflicts,” he said.
The pan he said, is three kilometres away and women have to walk alone to fetch water which is also contaminated and have to use traditional ways of purifying it with salty water from boreholes in the village.
He said for the last three seasons, the area has not received rains affecting farming activities.
Hadija Hamisi from Pandanguo village said women are the most affected as they scramble for water with dangerous wild animals at the remaining water pan.
She said her brother was on Friday bitten by a snake as he went to fetch water at the pan and is now admitted at the local dispensary.
Hadija said she dropped out of school at Form 3 because her father could not afford school fees due to perennial drought in the area which has affected farming.
“School going children are often forced to go without meals and sometimes have to contend with taking black tea,” she said.
Sharuti Ali another elder from Pandanguo, said the relief food brought by Red Cross will help them because they have not harvested for the last three seasons.
He called on the county government to distribute more food to keep residents from hunger.
Guyo Mbaya a village elder at Haluguni in Boni forest, said they now depend on the relief support due to the drought as they cannot get honey from the forest.
James Oregi said they eat wild fruits from the forest for survival because there is no food.
“When we ask for food at home there is none at times, we sleep hungry which forces us to go to the forest to eat these fruits,” he said.
Miriam Wangui from Poromoko village said since October last year, they have not harvested anything, adding that this season she planted 10 acres but did not harvest anything.
Annete Maua another residents appealed for relief support saying many households are sleeping hungry due to the drought.
-Edited by SKanyara