Food prices have more than doubled since January, Shukri Malim Mohammed, a food trader in El Wak noted, attributing the rise to transport problems associated with post-election violence in January and February, insecurity in Somalia (where a large proportion of food in Mandera is smuggled from) and the global food crisis.
"The wholesale price of rice was 1,500Ksh [$24] for 50kg in January," he explained
. "It has become so expensive – it now costs 3,600Ksh [$58]. People are buying much less than before."
. "It has become so expensive – it now costs 3,600Ksh [$58]. People are buying much less than before." Mandera Member of Parliament Mohamed Husein Ali urges the government and international aid agencies to help address the problem urgently to prevent loss of lives.
"Prices of maize, wheat flour, cooking fat and sugar have doubled in the past six months ... every family is feeling the pain of the extra burden," he said. "The government must act now and save thousands of families who cannot afford food ... rising food prices must be arrested [and] relief food allocation increased to cover more families.
"The border [with Somalia] must be opened and cross-border business legalised; the government will earn revenue and at the same time make food available to many families."
According to aid agencies in El Wak, a town that spans the Kenya-Somali border, large numbers of livestock died after severe droughts and poor rains in recent years. This has reduced the ability of nomadic pastoralists to support themselves and forced many to settle permanently in the vicinity of permanent water sources such as El Wak.
However, due to overgrazing, pasture around such permanent settlements quickly degrades. Consequently the pastoralists have had to depend on food aid throughout the dry season.
"Many people cannot afford food; but even if they could, no food is available," Mohammed said. "Normally we can sell a litre of milk in the market for 50KSh [80 cents] but now the price of food has increased.
Zeinab Abdinoor from Habaswein in Wajir South echoed the plight of many food-insecure families in the region. "I only cook lunch and spare some food for supper for the two young children," she said. "The older children have learnt to sleep without supper."
