Drought-stricken A planeload of relief materials has been sent by Kenya to neighboring Somalia.
According to UN data, more than a quarter of Kenyans who live in arid and semi-arid areas experience significant levels of food insecurity. This has sparked outrage on social media about the contribution.
The package contained numerous pharmaceuticals and food supplies, the Kenyan military said in a statement.
It claimed that the humanitarian aid was in response to the bombings that occurred in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, last week and left 120 people dead.
Colonel Victor Kang’ethe said, “We understand the anguish that our Somalian brothers and sisters are experiencing, and we are grateful to President William Ruto for this initiative, which will assist lessen the suffering of our neighbors.
The Kenyan Government has today delivered a planeload of emergency relief aid to the government of Somalia following the devastating bombings undertaken by Al Shabaab militia in Central Mogadishu. https://t.co/1mdoTEhZVY pic.twitter.com/yTxkkWDn2A
— Kenya Defence Forces (@kdfinfo) November 3, 2022
According to local media agencies, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had on Thursday urged Kenyans to give food to their impoverished neighbors.
He is cited as saying, “No Kenyan should perish from hunger when other Kenyans have extra food.”
John Ndungu posed this query on Twitter: “How can you send a plane load of food to Somalia while your own citizens are starving to death? Make sense of it.”
Who says we have more than enough to give? asked Maurice Onyango.
One of the worst droughts East Africa has experienced in decades is being brought on by the fourth season of poor rains.
