More than 600,000 people in Meru in dire need of food – county committee
The drought and hunger situation in Meru is worsening day by day, with the current number of affected persons in Meru standing at over 600,000 out of a population of 1.5 million people.
According to the Meru County Steering Committee, 39 schools are among the worst affected with a number of children suffering from malnutrition and others not able to attend classes. Some of these pupils malnourished require special diet relief foods.
While addressing the media today, the committee said it has formed a team to coordinate the receiving and distribution of relief food and any other aid coming to Meru.
Meru County Commissioner Frederick Ndunga who is the co-chair of the committee alongside the Meru Governor stated that all aid or reliefs coming to Meru must go through the committee that has a network from the county commissioner to the Chiefs.
He said this is to ensure transparency on where the relief is coming from and its destination while adding that the government is working to identify schools where assistance is urgently needed.
“We want to identify all the schools and where we need school feeding programs we will start them,” he said.
The National Drought Management Authority Meru County coordinator Godana Noor has said the drought situation is getting worse in Meru, with weather man predicting very low rainfall this season, meaning low harvest.
With this, he has called on people to prepare and plant fast-growing crops that can withstand low rain.
Meru county is among 10 counts in the Alert drought phase, including Embu, Garissa, Kitui, Makueni, Narok, Nyeri (Kieni), Taita Taveta, Kwale, and Kilifi.