Oxfam Dangerous Delays: East Africa Acute Hunger

Abdia Ibrahim, who lives in Barambale in Isiolo county, Kenya where a water point was set up by MID -P in partnership with Oxfam, drinks tea with her son. Photo: Matias Tellez .

"I had approximately 400 goats and several cattle. Now I have 200 goats and no cattle. The drought has caused all the wells to dry up and in turn our animals had no water to drink, bringing about their death in large numbers." 
 
"We used to only have one meal a day, shower once a day or sometimes not at all, we would ration water for what we thought was important." 

"Before, my daughter would use our old clothing items as a substitute for sanitary towels. It was messy and would mean she is away from school for the duration of her monthly period. Now, she can comfortably be in school and be comfortable." 
 
"I can now enjoy good clean water that is safe for drinking and cooking without fearing for my children's health, since they give us water treating chemicals and storage tanks that allow us to have clean water in the house for more than a week. Also, the ability to take a bath daily is unmatched. We were really suffering without water."  

Abdia Ibrahim, water programme participant in Kenya 

As of June 2023, Oxfam, in collaboration with local partner organizations, had reached a total of 1,232,729 individuals experiencing the effects of drought across Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. These are some ways we are responding: 

Providing Essential Water and Sanitation: Our efforts include delivering clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion, which not only reduce the spread of diseases but also ensure access to safe and clean water. Drought has caused water sources to dry up, necessitating people to travel long distances to fetch water, often unsafe for consumption. Work includes: 

• 85 accessible latrine blocks have been constructed, providing more than 10,000 people with access to safe, clean toilets.    
• In South Sudan, 46m3 of water is being trucked to three locations (Garang Mausoleum,        Abukhadrah School, and Zero Church) every day, providing safe, clean water to 5,600              individuals  
• Through 97 tap stands, Oxfam is providing 1,500m2 of water per day to the Jewi refugee camp in South Sudan. 

Supporting Vulnerable Families with Cash Transfers: Oxfam is providing flexible cash transfers to affected families, enabling them to purchase essential items such as medicines, cooking oil, school supplies, and food staples, including rice, sugar, tea, salt, beans, and sugar. These transfers target both those forcibly displaced by conflict, natural disasters, or drought and those who have remained in their communities but lost their livelihoods.  

Immediate Food and Livelihood Assistance: Oxfam is ensuring that families receive immediate support by providing emergency food and livelihood assistance packages. These packages include tools, seeds, fishing kits, and training on cultivating more resilient crops in challenging conditions.  

Dignity and Hygiene Support for Women and Girls: We provide dignity and hygiene kits to women and girls, including items such as soap, reusable sanitary towels, underwear, and shampoo. Due to inflation and other factors, menstrual hygiene products are often unaffordable, compelling women and girls to use rags.  

From January to June 2023, Oxfam distributed 5,785 hygiene/ dignity kits to women and girls in the region, containing essential items including soap and reusable menstrual hygiene products. 

With your support, Oxfam and local partners are able to continue providing essential assistance to the most vulnerable people in East Africa and bring back dignity for women and girls as they face devastating droughts across the region.