Clouds of dust rising above the harsh scrub herald the arrival of more livestock at a borehole in northeastern Kenya, the end for some of a 45-km (28-mile) trek for water that must be repeated every few days.
Drought is starting to bite in east Africa's biggest economy and the government has declared a state of emergency, saying 10 million people may face hunger and starvation after a poor harvest, crop failure, a lack of rain and rising food prices.
It said rains at the end of 2008 were generally poor after three successive poor seasons. In the area around Waregadud in Mandera, rainfall was just 10 to 20 percent of normal levels in the October-December period.
The Mandera region bordering Ethiopia and Somalia -- like much of Kenya -- is prone to drought. The lack of rain has left dams dry, pasture is dwindling and herders say tension is rising as animals and humans compete for resources.
The northwestern pastoral areas of Kenya faced an acute food and livelihood crisis due to a combination of livestock diseases, below normal rainfall and ethnic conflict. The Districts of Baringo and East Pokot were particularly hit hard by drought and were in need of emergency food assistance. Assessments conducted by the KRCS identified 87,092 persons as facing starvation.
