Drought Threatens Millions in Kenya

Sunday, February 12, A.D. 2006

An already precarious food security situation in the east African country of Kenya has further deteriorated with the failure of the current rainy season. Expected seasonal rains simply have not materialized and have worsened drought conditions in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Crop harvests have been reduced drastically and livestock herds are being depleted. Some 2.5 million people are now in need of emergency food aid over the next six months.

Church World Service is one of several Action by Churches Together members in the country that have developed a coordinated response to the drought/famine. CWS is working with five local church partners to provide food and water assistance to some 70,000 people, as well as provide forage and water for livestock. The local church partners are targeting the most vulnerable population groups to receive assistance, including the elderly, expectant mothers, the disabled, young children, and families headed by women, as well as families who have lost livestock.

Week of Compassion has rushed an immediate grant of $12,000 toward a CWS appeal to its member communions for $754,000 and will ask the WOC Committee to consider additional funding to help ensure that our local church partners on the ground have the resources they need to respond to this growing crisis.

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For congregations using the new WOC map/poster, disaster and project responses this week are listed below. You can find all of our '06 responses on our website: www.weekofcompassion.org. To receive a copy of the map/poster for your congregation, e-mail Elaine at ecleveland@woc.disciples.org, or call 317.713.2442.


DISASTER RESPONSES:

Kenya, drought/famine response
Texas, hurricane response

PROJECT RESPONSES:

Central America:
Honduras, food security
Nicaragua (2), food security

Africa:
Zambia, food security
Niger, food security
Guinea, food security
Congo, food security
Mozambique, food security

Middle East:
Palestine, food security