Nairobi(Mogadishu24)-The Arid and Semi-arid Counties (ASAL) and the World Food Programme signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi.

The event gathered key stakeholders, including national government officials, Hon. Harsama Kello (PS State Department for ASAL), WFP Representative and Country Director in Kenya, Ms. Sheila Ruquitte, Regional Department officials, county commissioners, donors, governors from ASAL counties, and representatives from both national and county governments.

The MOU involves 10 Arid and Semi-arid Counties, including Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, Narok, and Taita Taveta.

WFP Director Ms. Sheila Ruquitte underscored the importance of the MOU, aiming to leverage WFP’s resources to enhance drought response and mitigate the effects of climate change in ASAL regions.

Mandera County Governor, Mohamed Adan Khalif, who chairs the ASAL governors, highlighted WFP’s essential assistance to vulnerable communities in these counties through relief food, nutritional supplies, and cash transfers.

The MOU provides an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in constructive discussions, focusing on feedback, identifying gaps, and outlining areas for improvement in previous programs.

This collaborative effort aims to strengthen the partnership between ASAL counties and WFP, fostering better service delivery.

“I had the pleasure of joining 10 ASAL counties in signing an MoU with World Food Programme for community support in drought response and climate change impacts, at an event held at Trademark Hotel, Nairobi,” said Mohamed Adan Khalif, Mandera Governor.

He added, “WFP has been a steadfast ally for Mandera County, providing essential support to vulnerable households through a comprehensive approach of relief food, nutritional supplies, and cash transfers. Besides the MoU we also focused on feedback, identifying gaps, and areas of improvement in previous programs to strengthen our partnership for better service delivery.”

The Governor commended the collaborative role played by national and county government officials, donors, governors from ASAL counties, county commissioners, and representatives from different sectors.

“With the ongoing floods, we need a multi-sectoral approach to help the community recover from a second disaster. We aim to extend this partnership beyond emergency relief to build long-term solutions. Together, we will transition from emergency response to resilience programs, ensuring a lasting impact and sustained improvement,” the governor added.

Arid and Semi-arid counties have been severely affected by climate change, including recent floods that claimed over 90 lives in Kenya.

The floods have disrupted the main supply roads to Northern-eastern counties of Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera, causing a shortage of resources such as food, fuel, medical supplies, and other essential items.