Research Shows Number Of Families Needing Relief Supply Still High In West Pokot

By Benson Aswani,

About 4000 families in West Pokot County are in urgent need of relief supplies according to research conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Speaking on Tuesday after unveiling the research report conducted in July 2024, the NDMA coordinator of West Pokot County, Pascalia Kagwara, said the research indicates that the situation has improved compared to previous years.

However, she advised that strategies be put in place to prevent the situation from worsening.

“The situation is not that bad in West Pokot according to the research conducted in July. We are in the level known as stress which is level two. But the situation may worsen soon if strategies are not put in place to help those who need relief supply,” said Mrs. Kagwara.

On the other hand, Mrs. Kagwara expressed concern regarding the large percentage of residents who do not observe good nutrition indicating that children under the age of five years are at risk of being malnourished.

“In terms of nutrition, we are in stage three which means the majority of the population are not observing good nutrition. This puts children under the age of 5 years at risk of developing malnutrition,” she said.

Mrs. Kagwara further said that a high level of poverty among a large number of residents is the main cause of the situation.

She also attributed these challenges to the high level of illiteracy among residents in remote areas which stands at 70%.

“This situation is mainly caused by poverty and illiteracy levels among a large percentage of residents. Stakeholders should work together to address this challenge,” she added.