More than 11,000 families in Mandera will receive relief food from the county government to keep them going during the coronavirus crisis.
Governor Ali Roba on Wednesday flagged off seven trucks ferrying the food rations for distribution across the county.
“We have identified more than 86,000 vulnerable households in need of support. We have however picked about 10,000 households most desperately in need of food assistance for the next three months from April to June,” he said.
The county has recorded eight Covid-19 cases. The patients are in isolation at the Mandera Teaching and Referral Hospital.
As a result, the national government has banned road and air travel into and out of the border county. The governor has closed the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
“The above coupled with the onset of the holy month of Ramadhan has exposed the vulnerable families to serious food insecurity challenges,” Roba said.
"The combination of all the above factors has contributed a lot of hardship to the vulnerable population of our county."
Addressing residents outside the county headquarters in Mandera town, he said the Special Programmes department had identified vulnerable families up to the village level.
They include 2,250 families in Mandera East, 904 families in Lafey subcounty, 1,230 in Banisa, 1,610 in Mandera South, Kutulo (890), Mandera West (1,080) and Mandera North (3,210).
“This population includes the most vulnerable, Dugsi/Madrassa teachers, those living with HIV, internally displaced persons and people living with [disability],” Roba said.
Roba was accompanied by county secretary Abdinur Maalim, Finance executive Ibrahim Hassan and Water executive Mohamed Ali.
The food includes 450 tonnes of rice, 150 tonnes of beans and 93 tonnes of cooking oil. It will be distributed to the families monthly for three months.
The second-term governor said the county's efforts were being complemented by the World Food Programme through its agents on the ground, KOKOP.
Roba said the relief agency had on Wednesday started distributing 470 tonnes of sorghum, beans and cooking oil across the three subcounties where it operates.
“We thank WFP and KOKOP for this good gesture and call upon other organisations to emulate this example,” he said.
Roba urged the national government, NGOs and other development partners to support needy people in the county.
“So, as we flag off these programmes today, let’s pray Almighty Allah protects our people from this pandemic and have mercy on His Ummah, for, the best solutions are only those that come from Allah all the times,” he said.
Resident Fartun Ali said the food was a blessing, especially as the largely Muslim community is currently observing Ramadan, which involves fasting.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya