By MCGPS
Marsabit County Government has announced a new phase of its relief food distribution initiative, aiming to reach 1000 vulnerable households in each of the county’s 20 wards.
The beneficiaries will be identified by village-based relief food committees, ensuring that the aid reaches those most in need.
The program kicked off in Marsabit Central Ward’s Mountain location, inaugurated by Marsabit County Secretary Hussein Tari Sasura, Central Ward Administrator Halkano Hallo, area chief and village elders.
Mr. Sasura stated that the relief food distribution aims to protect the county’s vulnerable populations and will extend to every ward in the county.
“Every identified vulnerable household will receive 25 kilograms of Biryani rice and one litre of cooking oil,” revealed the County Secretary.
He added that the Governor, Mohamud Ali, is committed to taking care of vulnerable populations across the county and urged recipients to share their rations with their neighbors who have not made it to the list of beneficiaries.
“We urge those who will receive their ratio to share with their neighbors who are equally poor and might not have made it to the list of beneficiaries,” he said.
Despite the county having received a good amount of rainfall in the last season, many farmers did not engage in farming activities. Sasura urged farmers to prepare their lands for the upcoming rainfall and plant food crops to enhance food security in the county.
He also called on non-governmental organizations to support the county government’s efforts, pointing out that it is not possible for the county government alone to reach out to all vulnerable households.
Mountain Location Relief Food Chairman, Mr. Abdi Charfi, expressed gratitude to Governor Mohamud Ali for his continuous efforts to support the less fortunate in the county. He praised the governor’s previous efforts in providing relief food, pasture for livestock and water during the worst drought in a decade that hit the county.
However, Mr. Charfi expressed concern that Marsabit Central Ward, despite hosting many NGOs, has been overlooked, with their primary focus being on the rural areas. “Living in town does not prove that residents are well off,” he underlined, emphasizing the presence of urban poverty.
Safia, a resident of Mountain location, echoed Mr. Charfi’s sentiments. She criticized NGOs for neglecting the urban poor, stressing that the Marsabit Central Ward’s status as county headquarters does not negate the presence of poverty.
“There are poor, jobless people who don’t own a house and live in rentals,” Safia said. She urged the county government to increase the food ratio for the urban poor, pointing out that the central ward houses internally displaced persons (IDPs), job seekers, and a wide range of vulnerable populations who have migrated from rural areas in search of better opportunities.
The Marsabit County’s latest relief food distribution initiative marks a significant step towards addressing these concerns, providing much-needed support for those who need it most.
The initiative recognizes the vulnerability that exists in both rural and urban areas and represents a concerted effort to provide aid across the county’s diverse communities.
