Support to Drought Affected Communities in Turkana In Turkana, consecutive drought has depleted the water sources, an essential community resource. Most riverbeds have long-since dried up, and apart from relief agency-sponsored boreholes, there is no water. April and May are usually the long rains months for Turkana. This year, the rains have been sporadic and unpredictable. For most people of the region, livestock is a ‘living bank’ - a savings account with a cash value. In some parts of Turkana the drought has wiped out 70% of the livestock. For the affected families this means losing 70 % of their savings. In this scenario, many go bankrupt and whole lives are shattered. Up to 30 % of children aged under five in Turkana County are malnourished as a result of the prolonged drought. Assessment reports indicate a general increase in malnutrition rates in drought-affected districts throughout Kenya. As the drought has worsened, child malnutrition in some districts has gone critically over the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global acute malnutrition (GAM) critical threshold of 15 per cent. This shows the GAM levels exceeded the critical threshold in all of Turkana districts: Turkana North East 37.40 %, Turkana South and East 33.5 %, Turkana North West 27.80 %, Turkana Central and Loima 24.40 %. In addition, the under five crude mortality rate has reached more than the emergency threshold (2/10,000/day) in Turkana North West and North East with respectively 3.24 and 2.12 ; The crude mortality rate (adults and children) has reached more than the emergency threshold (1/10,000 /day) in Turkana North West and North East with respectively 2.13 and 2.42. 
Due to the drought, water and grazing land have become so precious that there has been an increase in the use of small arms to settle disputes over access to natural resources. Consequently, there has been a rise in armed conflict, especially along the border regions of Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Increasingly, the Turkana are resorting to using guns in their battle to preserve their way of life. Skirmishes over scarce watering holes, pasture and livestock are a part of daily life and lives are being lost and due to the insecurity, people are not able to freely access natural resources and sources of livelihood.
The project intends to provide relief and protect livelihoods of highly insecure households in the Diocese of Lodwar.The key focus areas of the project include food security, livelihoods and water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. 

Livelihoods Inputs will assist in sustaining vulnerable households.  This component includes the provision of seeds to 500 households and destocking of animals for 250 households as well as the provision of veterinary services to support livestock in the Diocese of Lodwar. 
Water for livestock will be provided through the rehabilitation and construction of water sources in the diocese of Lodwar through the cash and food for work.Advocacy and Education through the Diocese of Lodwar radio station, Radio Akicha.  Topical issues relating to drought, nutrition, livelihoods and services available to local communities will be discussed and programmes  will also be used to relay information in regards to other development actors and their role in ensuring that services reach people affected by the current drought.