Starvation looms in East Africa after four failed rainy seasons

By Ochieng’ Ogodo

 

[NAIROBI] Hunger and starvation is looming large due to current widespread, and persistent multi-season drought affecting Somalia, the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya, and Ethiopia’s Belg-receiving and eastern and southern pastoral areas.

 

But the situation is projected to deteriorate more with below-average October-December (OND) season worsening the dire food security and malnutrition situation in 2023.

 

Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed ─ a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years ─ and the latest long-lead seasonal forecasts, supported by a broad consensus from meteorological experts, indicate that there is now a concrete risk that the October-December (OND) rainy season could also fail.

 

According to 30 May press release by Famine Early Warning Systems Network: “Should these forecasts materialise, the already severe humanitarian emergency in the region would further deepen.”

 

It is likely that the rainy season of 2022 March-May will be the driest on record, devastating livelihoods and driving sharp increases in food, water, and nutrition insecurity.

 

An estimated 3.6 million livestock have died in Kenya (1.5 million) and Ethiopia (2.1 million). In the worst-affected areas of Somalia, FEWS NET/FSNAU estimate that 1-out-of-3 livestock have perished since mid-2021. Over a million people have been displaced in Somalia and southern Ethiopia.

 

Prevailing water deficits have been worsened by very high air temperatures, which are forecast to continue into the June-September dry season. Rangeland conditions will deteriorate faster than usual, driving additional, widespread livestock deaths, as well as population displacements.

 

In cropping areas, harvests will again be well below average, causing a prolonged dependency on markets, where households will have limited food access due to high food prices.

 

The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG) estimates that 16.7 million people currently face high acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+) and projects figures to increase to 20 million people by September.

 

In Somalia, April 2022 analyses found a Risk of Famine (IPC Phase 5) and indicated that over 80,000 people were experiencing extreme hunger, indicative of Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) while in Kenya and Somalia, nearly 2.5 million people face Emergency (IPC Phase 4).

 

“Both Emergency and Catastrophe are associated with increased mortality. Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya have also recorded a significantly higher number of severely malnourished children admitted for treatment in the first quarter of 2022 compared to past years,” says the press release.

 

In addition to the drought, food insecurity and acute malnutrition have been exacerbated by other concurrent shocks, including conflict/insecurity, rising global fuel, food, and fertilizer prices due to the Ukraine crisis, macroeconomic challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Irrespective of rainfall between October and December, conditions will not recover quick enough to see food security improvements before mid-2023 and a rapid scaling up of actions is needed now to save lives and avert starvation and death.

 

The current appeals to respond to the drought remain well underfunded and the drought response needs to be increased immediately to prevent the already severe food emergency, including a Risk of Famine in Somalia, from deteriorating into an even more dire situation.

Curbing deaths from road crashes

By Ochieng’ Ogodo

[NAIROBI] A national initiative aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries from road traffic crashes has been launched in Kenya and will strengthen laws, policies and actions that are proven to save lives.

Road traffic crashes are a top-five cause of death for Kenyans between the ages of five and 70, and the leading killer of boys aged 15-19.

Worldwide, road traffic crashes kill approximately 1.3 million people every year - more than two every minute - with more than nine in ten of all deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 globally. WHO estimates that crashes will cause another 13 million deaths and 500 million injuries around the world by 2030 if urgent action is not taken.

The move by the Ministry of Health, the National Transport and Safety Authority, the WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies was launched last week (25 May).

At the end of the year 2021, Kenya recorded 4,579 fatalities as a result of road traffic crashes with tens of thousands more seriously injured. As at 22nd May 2022, a total of 1,816 fatalities have been recorded showing an increase by 9.2% compared to a similar period in the year 2021.

“No deaths on our roads are ever acceptable, and road traffic crashes are a pressing public health issue that we are working hard to urgently resolve. The work with WHO and partners through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety will be key to supporting our efforts to save lives and push forward progress.” says Mrs. Agnes Odhiambo, the NTSA Board Chair person.

The initiative comes as the government finalises a new National Road Safety Action Plan that aims to halve deaths from crashes by 2030. The government, WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies and other partners are meeting to define how the initiative can best support the New Road Safety Plan.

“Road crash deaths are a crisis that hides in plain sight. Stepping up action on road safety is vital, as on top of the tragic human toll, road safety touches on all our lives each day, including getting to work and to school. By strengthening laws, practices and bringing partners together, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative is key to saving lives,” said Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Representative in Kenya.

“Bloomberg Philanthropies is proud to partner with the Government of Kenya to strengthen road safety efforts that will save lives. We are committed to supporting proven road safety interventions that save lives,” said Kelly Larson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative for Global Road Safety.

Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies has saved lives and reduced injuries from road traffic crashes by supporting the implementation of road safety interventions in 45 cities and provinces, advocating for stronger national road safety policies in 21 countries, and improving vehicle safety standards in four regional markets. These efforts are estimated to have saved nearly 312,000 lives.

 

Cassava varieties gaining acceptance among Nigerian farmers

By Ochieng’ Ogodo

[NAIROBI] New cassava varieties developed by the NextGen project—Baba-70 and GameChanger are gaining acceptance by farmers in Benue and Kogi states in Nigeria states, raising hopes of better yields in future.  

The varieties, Game Changer, Baba 70 and Poundable, according to the breeders, were part of the varieties released in 2020 and when cultivated with good agronomic practices and weed control can produce more than 30 tons per hectare instead of the current national average yield of eight tons per hectare.

While the Game Changer can produce 32 tons per hectare, Baba 70 can produce 38 tons per hectare. The new cultivars are also drought-tolerant and resistant to the virus diseases of cassava.

According to Dr Ismail Rabbi, a molecular geneticist and plant breeder with IITA, consumer preference studies were conducted before releasing the varieties. “In addition to high yield and stress tolerance, we found that these varieties are suitable for several agro-ecologies. Farmers, processors and consumers love these varieties because they were high-yielding, stress-tolerant, disease-resistant and had the right food properties,” he says.

“I am confident that farmers who adopt these varieties will make more profit and improve their livelihoods. These varieties are also a huge contribution to food security,” says Dr Mercy Diebiru-Ojo, who heads IITA GoSeed,

She adds: “As part of the launch, farmers and processors were taken to the field where the varieties were planted alongside an old improved variety, TME 419, 11 months ago and managed by Crest Agro. After an assessment of the field as well as the plant architecture, the farmers participated in harvesting some of the roots to compare with TME 419.”

A demonstration of the processing of the new varieties to prove that their dry matter and starch contents were high and of great food value was conducted on the entire process from the farm to the table.

Dr. Vishnuardhan Banda, Product Manager for Crop Variety Development, IITA, expresses joy that the farmers and processors are happy with the new varieties and eager to plant them on their farms.

 “We urge you to always tell us how these varieties are performing on your various farms. You have seen that these are very good varieties but we know that in years to come, you would need something new. Just keep giving us feedback about farmers' choices and complaints, and we the breeders will be working with that information to give you new and better products.”

                        Farmers and researchers celebrating new varieties. Picture credit: IITA

Ambassador Jaiyeola Lewu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, and now a farmer, describes the varieties as game changers in the agricultural sector, saying “farmers will benefit immensely from them.” He urged the project leaders to ensure that the products were available and accessible to the farmers who need them.

The sentiments above were expressed during the farmers field day and product launch in Kogi on 19 while in Benue it took place on 23 May 2022.

Among those who attended the event in Kogi were farmers, processors, and representatives from Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture, Kogi State Agricultural Development Program, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association and other public and private sector stakeholders. IITA and NRCRI scientists were also in attendance.

The NextGen Cassava Project, is being implemented by Cornell University, New York, in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).