Administrator Samantha Power Travels to Turkana County, Kenya | Readout

The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:‎

On July 23 in Kenya, Administrator Power started the day traveling north to Turkana County. Throughout the day, the Administrator heard from men and women who have lost all or most of their livestock and livelihoods to the devastating drought. She visited Kachoda Health Dispensary, a health facility that treats sick and malnourished children under five. The Administrator spoke with staff and health experts about how to tackle both the immediate and long-term impacts of the unprecedented drought and food insecurity crisis on children’s nutrition. She also met with mothers who have children suffering from acute malnutrition and who have been treated with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) products that are manufactured in Kenya and purchased through USAID-funding.

Administrator Power then toured a World Food Programme food distribution site that provides assistance to drought-impacted families, particularly during lean season when people cannot access enough food to meet their needs. The food distributed today complements cash assistance USAID is supporting for vulnerable drought affected families in Kenya. The Administrator spoke with community leaders about actions needed to build resilient and nourishing livelihoods that can withstand future shocks. Administrator Power met with community leaders at a water site in Kachoda that was rehabilitated with USAID support and that provides clean, safe water to people and livestock. She met with Turkana County officials and farmers at Kachoda Agronutrition Farm where they are providing training and farmland to people impacted by the drought to encourage income and nutrient diversification. 

In the evening, the Administrator met with leaders at Sanergy, an American company providing sanitation services in informal settlements and producing organic fertilizer for Kenya’s small-scale farmers. She reiterated USAID’s commitment in working with the private sector to strengthen markets, provide access to sanitation, and to treat and reuse waste in climate-friendly ways.