IOM cash support to benefit Households affected by drought and insecurity

Turkana Thursday April 27, 2023

KNA by Peter Gitonga

A total of 900 vulnerable households affected by drought and displaced as a result of drought and insecurity in Turkana South and Turkana East Sub-counties are set to benefit from cash support from International organisation of Migration (IOM). 

IOM’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer Samuel Cobrado, said IOM has identified Lotus Kenya Action for Development Organisation LOKADO as an implementing partner (IP) for the one month-project targeting 900 households in the two sub-counties, and other forthcoming long-term engagements.

On the long-term support, the  Emergency Response Officer said IOM and LOKADO conducted a joint Displacement Tracking Matrix and vulnerability assessment in October to November 2022, Countywide.

The report which has since been validated and published has informed the funding for WASH, Livelihoods, peace building and disaster risk reduction interventions in 2023.

Speaking during a meeting with the IOM team in Lodwar, deputy governor John Erus said the two sub-counties were the ones mostly affected by the drought and insecurity hence needed immediate response.

“IOM’s emergency response support to displaced vulnerable households in Turkana East and Turkana South is a timely mission as the cash transfer will improve the situation, ” said  Dr Erus.

The deputy governor expressed concern for the Turkana East Sub-county as health reports indicate it has the highest malnutrition rates recorded. 

He said the two sub counties are resourceful food basket for the county and called for urgent support.

Additionally, Dr Erus pointed out that the County Government is currently mobilising partners to support the construction of water troughs and medium size-dams in strategic corridors for the livestock.

That he said, would be a measure to confine pastoralists within Turkana county and prevent rampant conflicts with neighbours. 

Cobrado assured the Deputy Governor and the County Government of IOM’s support in bolstering key partnership areas in leveraging on joint activities in the County.

“IOM will continue engaging Turkana County Government in building efforts towards expanding the funding to include and strengthen the Turkana and Karamoja resource sharing agreements to accelerate their economic development," said Cobrado.

Similarly, he disclosed that IOM will labour to present a Concept Note to EU to consider funding resource-sharing agreements between Turkana and the neighbours to avertperennial resource-based conflicts. 

LOKADO’s Executive Director Augustine Kai emphasised that IOM and LOKADO will work closely with National and County Governments in ensuring peace prevails along the shared borders.

On vulnerability assessment, Kai said LOKADO and IOM technical team will train the enumerators and team leaders on Thursday on Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and Multi-Sectoral Vulnerability Assessment (MSLA), which will pave way for the identification of vulnerable households to help fast track disbursement of the emergency cash transfer.

IOM’s Fowzia Ali (Programme Support) and Anthony Munyenze (Information Management) were present during the meeting.

 Courtesy; K.N.A