Halima Barre, Kenya “We are always hungry"

"We had a meal of boiled maize last evening, but this morning we just had tea," said Halima Barre, a 28-year-old mother of seven, whose has had to move from their native village in drought-hit Mandera district of northeastern Kenya to Libehiya trading centre in the same district.

"We lost all our livestock and had nothing to eat so we decided to leave Garbaluka to come to Libehiya where the well still has some water left. The chief allowed us to settle here," said Halima, one of the thousands of pastoralists who have lost all their livestock and have had to settle closer to water and food aid distribution points.

Residents of Mandera call them "drop outs". They are in fact internally displaced people seeking succour after being made destitute by a severe drought that has blighted vast areas of the Horn of Africa.

"We have not yet received any food aid for the children. I can only breastfeed my baby. Previously I used to give her milk. No one has milk now, the cows are dead and the few surviving ones are too weak to produce any milk," said Halima.

"Food aid is not enough, people are sharing the maize rations which only last a fews days. We are always hungry".