Ab-Titchaz
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- Jan 30, 2008
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We live on boiled water, say residents
Updated 21 hr(s) 41 min(s) ago
By Biketi Kikechi
Along the dusty, rugged Kainuk-Lodwar highway stand hundreds of scantly dressed boys and girls gesturing at passing vehicles.
The youths make high-pitched noises, all shouting, "akoro, akoro, akoro" (Translated as: "Hunger! Hunger! Hunger!").
Eloiloi Edung (second right) with his wife Adung Piarai (second left), share a cup of water with relatives at their home in Lokichar, Turkana South District. Thousands of residents are starving as the Goverment has not supplied relief food for the last three month
Their hands point to their mouths as they brave swirling sandstorms from the vast bare landscape.
These children of Turkana region are part of the 1.6 million people the Government says urgently need relief food in the North Rift.
Motorists plying the Kitale-Lodwar highway may not comprehend what "akoro" means but they cannot miss the non-verbal communication.
Others hold upended empty plastic water bottles close to their mouths in a desperate attempt to tell those who care that they are thirsty.
Pangs of hunger
A few motorists stop to offer a bottle of water but not many have any food to give.
The pangs of hunger force the children to walk for many miles from their parents manyatta (homes) to the highway.
As you drive further north past Lokichar trading centre, large herds of goats and sheep browse on leafless twigs.
Turkana District was recently split into three administrative units namely Turkana Central, Turkana North and Turkana South.
The famine situation is nearing a catastrophic level in the three districts, with most of the population moving towards the banks of Turkwel and Kerio rivers.
Lomurukai Ward in Turkana Central District is 52km from Lodwar is one of the worst his areas, but residents they are better than their next of kin living further North towards the Kenya-Uganda border.
Councillor Jeremiah Lomorokai spent 33 days away holding talks with communities at the border on how to access pasture for his people.
Looking at the environment, one cannot see a single green leaf in an area that in normal times boasts expansive pasture fields in Turkana Central.
The last rations
Only World Vision gives relief food to residents here.
Here, Government rations last reached the people in November last year.
"Government food is not for the people. We do not know where that food goes because it hardly reaches them," says Lomorokai.
Civic leaders say they could excuse President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"It is possible they do not understand or suffering because the Turkana Central DC who should brief them last visited Lorengipi, one of the worst hit areas on December 13, 2006, when the area was attacked by cattle raiders," said Lomorokai.
In Turkana North, hunger-stricken Kibish residents need food relief. About 84 per cent of the 232,000 residents in the district are starving according to data released by the Ministry of Planning.
That translates to 202,000 who need relief food in the vast district. Kibish, with a population of 23,000 people, received 200 bags of maize from the Government in August.
The Standard unsuccessfully tried to reach the DC at his office in Lodwar but he was said to be out.
Further North on the Lodwar-Kalokol highway, The Standard team found women at Katotum manyatta nursing emaciated and sand-drenched Ethuuko Nangoli. The frail woman, who is perhaps in her 60s, can neither sit nor stand because she has no energy due to lack of food.
Death is staring the children, women and elderly men of Turkana in the face because of the acute famine.
Grass in the once extensive grazing fields dried up many months ago, forcing herdsmen to move farther South with their livestock in search of pasture.
