By Adan Mohamed - Reporter
24 December 2025 - Drought situation in Mandera County continues to worsen, severely affecting thousands of residents, with malnutrition now emerging as the most feared humanitarian threat, especially among children under five and the elderly.
In Mandera County, malnutrition burden has reached critical levels, with 69,325 children under the age of five affected across the county.
The crisis has been triggered by prolonged drought and the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons, including the October–December (OND) and March–May (MAM) rains, pushing many families into hunger and worsening food insecurity.
Reports also indicate that 56,916 children are suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), while 12,410 are battling Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), a life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical and nutritional intervention.
Additionally, 16,872 pregnant and lactating mothers (PLM) are affected, raising serious concerns about infant nutrition, maternal health, and long-term child development.
Health experts and humanitarian agencies have warned that continued support for integrated medical outreach programmes is essential to sustain lifesaving interventions and prevent further deterioration of the crisis.
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To respond to the emergency, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has scaled up integrated medical outreach services in the remote and underserved regions of Mandera North and Mandera West.
The mobile outreach teams are providing malnutrition screening and treatment, curative medical care, child immunisation, antenatal care (ANC) services, and community health education.
As part of ongoing drought mitigation, 450 households received Corn Soya Blend Plus Plus (CSB++) nutrition support, while emergency water trucking services reached communities through 13 targeted water distribution centres.
These efforts are easing pressure in drought-stricken settlements.
Humanitarian partners remain on high alert, warning that without sustained aid, malnutrition cases could continue to rise, further threatening lives across the county.
