Child eaten by hyena as drought ravages Marsabit

A child was on Saturday night attacked and parts of his body eaten by a hyena in Balaah area near Korr, Marsabit County.

Officials said a severe drought which has ravaged the northern county has now led to hyena attacks in the villages.

Six people had on Sunday been confirmed dead due to starvation in the Balaah area alone.

Marsabit’s south-eastern neighbor, Isiolo, on Saturday declared a State of Emergency as nine out of 10 wards in the County grapple with drought.

Leaders from the county, who called on the government to declare it a national disaster, said the situation in the North is worsening each day.

The communities in Isiolo rely on livestock for their livelihood and are staring at a serious crisis as the drought has claimed more than 80 per cent of their animals.

Small rivers have dried up in the region and now women and children are forced to travel tens of kilometers in search of the precious commodity.

River Ewaso Nyiro that flows through the county to the neighbouring country of Somalia has not been spared, as the water levels have been decreasing in the last 4 years.

Residents are worried that the river may dry up completely in what has been termed the worst drought in four decades.

According to the Isiolo county government, tension is high in parts of the county due to conflict over limited resources.

Cases of malnutrion in children and lactating mothers continue to be reported on a daily basis in most parts of the region.

This, compounded with the high cost of living, has made it difficult for residents to put a meal on the table.