The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has revealed that cases of gender-based violence (GBV) are on the rise in Kenya as the country continues to battle severe drought.
It is understood that the drought, which has now affected more than four million people, has displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes as they continue to search for survival.
Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region has experienced four back-to-back below-average rainy seasons, leading to the longest drought in at least 40 years.
With women and girls bearing the responsibility of fetching water, long walks away from their homes and long hours of waiting to get water, they are exposed to sexual exploitation, violence and abuse.
Also, the inaccessibility of family planning and contraceptive services has contributed to the rising number of teenage pregnancy, further exposing girls to life-threatening health complications and higher risk of intimate partner violence.
‘We have seen an increase in gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, and child marriage during the drought’, UNFPA quoted a Clinical Officer in Samburu County, Jackline Njomoni, as saying.
‘Families are cutting their girls and marrying them off to pay for food or restock cattle’.
In its response, UNFPA said it has trained more than 340 front-line health workers and community responders on preventing and responding to GBV with a focus on clinical management of rape, psychological first aid and referrals for legal and medical assistance.
Between October 2021 and June 2022, more than 186,000 women and girls received sexual and reproductive health support from UNFPA, with over 60,000 receiving protection services.
Medical activities have also been initiated in drought-affected regions to reach populations in remote areas with essential services such as antenatal and nutrition services for pregnant women as 134,000 women are estimated to currently be pregnant or breastfeeding.
The joint UN drought appeal for Kenya calls for $320 million support to address the immediate needs of more than four million people.
Photo source: UNFPA
