October 2020: Monthly Rainfall Analysis, North Horr Sub-County (KENYA)

The short rain season started on time over North Horr Sub-County.

The first day of rainfall was recorded on the 6th of October at the community weather station of El-Hadi.

Data collectors reported some extreme precipitation events that affected especially the area around El-Gade, causing the flooding of the river in Elbeso and the subsequent death of around 30 sheep and goats.

Moreover, in Yibo, close to Dukana on the 11th of October; more than 500 sheep and goats died of hypothermia due to the rapid and significant decrease of the minimum temperature, as reported by OH data collectors and the Marsabit County Steering Group (CSG).

Death of livestock in Yibo (Dukana)

Accumulated rainfall October 2020

The accumulated rainfall recorded during October across the project area was about 10-20mm with a peak in Balesa of 60mm and 0mm recorded in Kalacha.

According to the climatology of the area, the rainfall deviations in the different areas for the month are the following:

• ABOVE AVERAGE – Balesa
• SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE – Gas
• AVERAGE – North Horr and El-Gade
• SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE- Kalacha and Dukana

Rainfall Anomaly October 2020

Local Astrologers in Balesa predicted low Hagash rains that will not be evenly distributed. Therefore, in accordance with this traditional prediction, the Gabbra community welcomed a new Gumat year (starting on 29th of October 2020) in a unique manner as animals were forced to be left behind as herders travelled back home to celebrate the New year, with most parts of the sub county witnessing water and pasture scarcities.

In the coming months we will continue to follow the trend of the short rain season and the impact related with human and animal health conditions.

This analysis is produced in the framework of the One Health project: Multidisciplinary approach to promote the health and resilience of pastoralist in North Kenya – AID11507. It is a 3-year initiative funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, aimed at improving the access and coordination of human and animal health services and of early warning and response systems to dangerous events that could put the pastoralist communities' health in North Horr Sub-County at risk. The project is led by CCM-Comitato Collaborazione Medica in partnership with VSF Germany - Veterinarians without Borders Germany, TriM - Translate into Meaning, and DIST - Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning.