Tearfund has reported on the forgotten tribes in Africa who were hit by the food crisis in the east of the continent.

|TOP|Kenya’s Gabra and Rendille peoples are among the 11 million people forced to point of desperate need.

“Milk is like gold and meals are scarce,” says Nasere Galangan, 28, from northern Kenya. “Lemartin is my only child. Since he was born he has been ill. We need a balanced diet so the child will grow well.”

After three consecutive years of drought, grazing land has withered and many animals have already died. Farmers are selling off the last of their livestock for food.

Lemartin has received nutrition-rich supplements from a Tearfund partner – the Africa Inland Church, a group of missionaries and local Christians. Tearfund and its partners are distributing food in Kenya, Somalia and Eritrea.

|AD|Nasere says: “If we hadn’t got this food, Lemartin would have died of hunger, but I need more help.”

With 3.5 million people in urgent need of food in 20 districts, farmers in Kenya have suffered loss of more than 50 per cent of their livelihood.

According to Mario Rodrigues, World Vision's Food Aid Manager, the food aid operation will have a total food and cash value of US $13.6 million and total 26,000 Metric Tonnes.

The emergency response will also include projects tailored towards drought mitigation, carrying out activities on development of water sources and food security. These extra projects are worth an additional US$ 2.02 million.

"We have proposals towards rehabilitation of water sources and food security. These activities are part of the mitigation exercise," said Rodrigues.