RAF dispatches urgent aid to drought-hit Kenya

Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) has started dispatching urgent humanitarian aid to drought-hit African countries.
The RAF has already allocated QR2m for the initiative under a massive programme to help the affected people fighting for survival in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Under phase-I of the project, more than 5,000 people received food baskets and clean water at five places in Kenya. A team from RAF supervised the distribution of aid.
More than 700 food baskets were distributed to the beneficiaries. They were also provided clean drinking water though water tankers.
The aid distribution covered five areas including Ijara, Haluqu, Sangailu, Wafati and Tanariva that came under Karisia province, north-east of Kenya.
The baskets comprised basic food items for a family comprising five to seven members for at least three months. It included rice, sugar, flour, edible oil, milk powder, salt among others.
RAF started the projects in these areas because they were the worst hit due to lack of rain for past several years. A large number of animals died and crops in large areas were destroyed due to drought. There was a severe shortage of food leading to deaths and malnutrition on a large scale.
People have been leaving their homes to neighbouring cities by foot causing health problems and malnutrition, especially among children and senior citizens.
RAF conducted a survey in collaboration with Al Furqan organization, its partner in Kenya, to find out the most affected areas and assess the needs of people. Priority was given to places having big number of children, people with disabilities, patients requiring urgent treatments. They were provided food baskets, drinking water in collaboration with local authority under the supervision of a RAF team.
The initiative was launched in response to a social programme for urgent aid after the declaration of emergency on February 10, 2017 in 23 provinces of Kenya of a total 47 provinces hit by drought.
According to the report of UN Human Rights Office issued on February 2017, more than 2.7m are facing food security problem and the number of children, pregnant women, and breast feeding mothers suffering from malnutrition reached 357,000.
The production of corn reduced by 99 percent in coastal areas of Kenya due to the drought. Corn is the main food for Kenyans and they were forced to move to different areas looking for water. They lost their cattle due to lack of water and fodder.
The campaign aims at collecting QR5m to provide aid to the people battling for survival.