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Drought in Kenya Devastates Millions

September 02, 2009 - Kenya

The following has been taken from Drought, death grips Kenyan heartland, by David McKenzie, CNN:
September 2, 2009

For as long as anyone cares to remember, the pastoralists of Kenya’s Rift Valley have fled with their herds to the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya when times are tough. When the rains failed this year they set off once again in search of water and pasture — but they found only despair.

Across the folds of this mountain everyone has the same story. Hundreds of dead cattle dot the forests, young herdsmen try to coax ailing calves onto their feet, knowing that if they don’t get up they will die.

Millions of Kenyans are facing the same stark reality. The World Food Program (WFP) says that, together with the Kenyan government, they will need to feed 3.8 million people across the country.

"We are facing a really difficult situation. We realize that the world economic crisis has affected the amount that countries can give to us," says WFP spokesperson Gabrielle Menezes, "But at the same time we are seeing an awful situation in Kenya. If we don’t start feeding people now things are only going to get worse."

For the full article, please click here

Photo Credit: BBC News

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