Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests and zebras dead in Kenya amid prolonged drought
More than 2,100 elephants have died of starvation or were eaten during a third consecutive year of the worst drought in Kenya history, the authorities said on Sunday.
More than 2,100 elephants have died of starvation or were eaten during a third consecutive year of the worst drought in Kenya history, the authorities said on Sunday.
In neighbouring Tanzania, more than 2,000 cattle have died from the dry spell, while tens of thousands of birds have died in Kenya alone, the environment ministry said.
There has been no let-up in the severity of the drought, which has devastated wildlife and crops in Kenya and neighbouring countries since October last year.
So far this year, almost 6,000 cattle have been killed for lack of water, while more than 1,000 birds have died in just nine days in a single region, Tanzanian authorities said last week.
The UN World Food Programme is also running a food drive to help feed thousands of families who have been food insecure ever since last year.
The UN says it needs US$250 million to help feed vulnerable people in sub-Saharan African countries hit by the drought.
In Africa, two-thirds of people affected by the drought are affected by hunger, with two-thirds of those children suffering from stunted growth, the food agency said.
More than half of those affected are in South Sudan alone.
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, has cut water to the capital, Nairobi, for the past three months to help prevent water-starved farmers from drinking from their wells.
“This drought is a huge tragedy. There is no doubt we have had some droughts before, but usually they have not been this bad,” said government spokesman Kidega Allen.
“The impact this drought has had on our people, wildlife and agriculture has been devastating
