FINAL REPORT - FSD Kenya

iii. Diseases and Long Illnesses
The main sicknesses affecting households are malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition among
children. Even though there could be a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, the respondents did not come
out clearly about the presence of this disease in the community, but reported rampant “madness”
among target group. As many of the current and potential OVC households are headed by single
parents, their capacity to meet all household requirements, especially that of taking care of the sick
during long illnesses, is limited.
Respondents associate malaria with the stagnant water that has created breeding grounds for
mosquitoes; and diarrhoea with the contamination of wells by surface water from floods. In Bulla Iftin,
respondents have no other source of water except the Tana river that is also contaminated and not fit
for domestic use. They associate pneumonia and malnutrition among children with poverty that has
reduced their ability to buy appropriate food and medication for their children. The Garissa District
Children’s Officer confirmed a death rate of two children per day in one of the camps and five deaths
per day in the main hospital in recent months.
Distance from hospitals and cost of drugs have complicated the situation and made it difficult for the
respondents to get reliable and affordable medical care in time. Apart from at Iftin, which is 5 kms
from Garissa, distances to the nearest Garissa District Hospital are far. Balambala for example is 200
kms away or KShs400-500 in terms of cost of transport – considerably far and expensive for
respondents.
iv. Livestock Diseases
There are rising cases of diseases associated with floods such as anthrax and Rift Valley Fever. These
diseases have caused deaths of livestock, a situation that has forced people here to sell off their
remaining ones, especially camels, sometimes at very low prices, and to remain with no major source of
regular cash flows. They have remained with a few goats that they say can stand hard conditions.
v. Inappropriate Shelter
Many respondents live in temporary makeshift huts, commonly known as “herios” that leak during rainy
seasons and harbour snakes and mosquitoes. Many of these herios were washed away by the floods of
2006 and occupants went to seek refuge on higher grounds or refugee camps and some were fortunate
to get support from Aid Agencies that provided polythene covers for reinforcing dwellings and
mosquito nets for protection against malaria.
vi. Lack of Food
One of the major difficulties facing these respondents is lack food. The soils and amount of rainfall
cannot support farming, and animals have died from lack of pasture and cattle feed, making the food
situation worse. It is only along Tana river that a few people practicing subsistence agriculture have a
consistent source of food. When roads are also cut off due to floods as it happened recently, food does
not reach recipients in time.
Investigation of seasonal flows of income and expenditures revealed that inhabitants of Balambala and
Dertu receive no major incomes for at least 8 months in a year, and have food difficulties in the most
part of a year. It is only in January that they get some income from sale of animals and buy food. “In
December through January we sell cattle and goats …this is the time the animals are fat and can fetch good price.” In
March - “we sell cattle and camel milk…because this time of the year is when most animals give birth and milk is
plenty…”
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