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Two brothers search a dry riverbed for water near Kataboi, Turkana, 2011DFID - UK Department for International Development, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Active response

Drought response in Turkana

Turkana County, Kenya. Started . Last updated .

People affected
540,000
People we've reached
38,900
Hazard
Drought

What happened

The long rains between March and May delivered less than 40 percent of normal rainfall. Shallow wells across northern Turkana are dry, and pasture is gone within a day's walk of most settlements.

Families are walking further for water and selling livestock at low prices. Child malnutrition screening shows rising rates in three sub-counties.

What people need now

  • Repair of boreholes and hand pumps55% funded
  • Water trucking to settlements without a working source38% funded
  • Livestock feed and veterinary care27% funded
  • Nutrition screening and referrals for children44% funded

Our response

We work through organisations already rooted in Turkana. They know who has been missed, which roads are open and what families are asking for.

  • Lokichar Pastoralist AssociationCommunity water committees
  • County Department of Water ServicesBorehole repair and testing

Plan and progress

  1. Week 1Survey of 120 water points with the county water departmentDone
  2. Month 1Water trucking to 34 settlementsDone
  3. Month 3Repair of 42 boreholes and hand pumpsPlanned
  4. Month 5Feed and vaccination for core breeding herdsPlanned
Margaret, a resident of Kataboi village in Turkana, during the 2011 droughtDFID - UK Department for International Development, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Margaret, a resident of Kataboi village in Turkana, during the 2011 drought
Women and children shelter from the sun at a health clinic in Turkana, 2017DFID - UK Department for International Development, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Women and children shelter from the sun at a health clinic in Turkana, 2017

Latest updates

  1. 18 boreholes back in service

    Each repaired point has a trained committee that collects a small fee for future maintenance.

  2. Trucking extended through October

    Forecasts for the short rains remain below average, so trucking will continue until repairs are complete.

Sources

  • Kenya National Drought Management Authority bulletin, September 2026
  • Vitaria water point survey, June 2026

Figures are reviewed by our programme team before publication and updated at least weekly during an active response.