Kenya Red Cross Begins Food Distribution In Seven Drought-Hit Counties
News Updated: 27 February 2026 18:10 EAT
Some of the Kenya red cross initiative in Wajir County
The Kenya Red Cross Society has launched a fresh round of emergency food distribution targeting seven counties grappling with severe hunger following prolonged drought conditions.
The humanitarian agency said the intervention is aimed at cushioning the most vulnerable households after successive failed rainy seasons left crops destroyed, water sources depleted and livestock weakened across arid and semi-arid regions.
The distribution exercise is underway in Turkana County, one of the worst-affected areas where pastoral communities have reported significant livestock losses and rising cases of acute malnutrition among children.
In Marsabit County, relief teams have been dispatched to remote sub-counties including North Horr and Laisamis, where thousands of families are in urgent need of food assistance and water support.
Operations have also been rolled out in Mandera County and Garissa County, regions that have experienced declining pasture and water availability, forcing communities to migrate in search of survival resources.
In Samburu County, humanitarian assessments indicate that households are struggling to access adequate daily meals, with children under five and pregnant women identified as high-risk groups.
Relief supplies are similarly being distributed in Isiolo County, where the drought has disrupted livelihoods and triggered food price spikes, further straining already fragile household incomes.
Parts of West Pokot County have also been included in the response plan, particularly in arid zones where communities rely heavily on livestock rearing and have suffered diminished herds.
The food baskets being issued contain staple commodities designed to sustain families for a specified period, alongside targeted nutritional supplements for children and lactating mothers in areas reporting elevated malnutrition rates.
The Kenya Red Cross has indicated that its teams are working closely with county authorities and community volunteers to ensure transparent beneficiary identification and efficient last-mile delivery in hard-to-reach settlements.
Humanitarian data shows that millions of Kenyans remain food insecure, with drought conditions compounded by high living costs and limited access to safe water in remote regions.
The agency has appealed for additional resources to scale up interventions, warning that sustained support will be critical in preventing further deterioration of food security as communities await improved rainfall in the coming seasons.
Tags: Drought Editor's Pick Kenya Red Cross Kenya Red Cross Society Red Cross Signs Media Kenya Limited Signsmedia Signstv Signstvkenya
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD