The humanitarian situation in Mandera County is worsening as funding shortfalls threaten to cripple lifesaving nutrition and drought response efforts.
According to the Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA), Mandera remains in the alert drought phase, with food insecurity and water scarcity intensifying across the region.
The July 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report paints a grim picture of rising malnutrition rates, coming at a time when financial support for humanitarian operations has drastically declined.
A September 2025 nutrition snapshot released by RACIDA shows alarming figures:
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69,326 children are suffering from Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM)
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12,410 children face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)
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56,916 children are experiencing Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM)
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Out of 329 nutrition outreaches, only 16 remain functional due to resource constraints
“These numbers reflect a crisis that demands urgent action. Without additional funding and an immediate scale-up of nutrition services, thousands of vulnerable children and families risk slipping deeper into crisis,” RACIDA warned.
The organisation emphasised that the situation in Mandera, one of Kenya’s most drought-prone counties, underscores the need for stronger collaboration among humanitarian agencies, the national and county governments, and development partners.
RACIDA called for renewed investment in nutrition interventions, water access, and resilience-building programs to prevent further deterioration of livelihoods.
“Coordinated action and predictable funding are essential. Every delay in response costs lives, especially among children already weakened by hunger and disease,” the agency stated.
As Mandera continues to grapple with prolonged drought and dwindling resources, the urgency to restore and sustain humanitarian operations has never been greater.