An Assesment on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Livelihoods in Mandera Turkana and Wajir Counties

COVID-19 is having a significant impact on already vulnerable communities in Turkana, Mandera and Wajir counties who are still suffering from consecutive climate-related disasters including drought, floods, and the recent locust invasion. It is also anticipated that cholera, measles and rift valley fever might impact the counties soon.

COVID-19 cases have been reported in Mandera and Wajir counties and in order to prevent further transmissions, a cessation of movement into and out of Mandera County has been imposed. The Government of Kenya has banned livestock markets along the border with Somalia. The containment measures due to COVID-19 in Turkana is also causing adverse impacts on food security and livelihoods.

To better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on food security and livelihoods in these three counties, Save the Children has conducted an analysis, known as the Household Economy Analysis (HEA), which helps to understand changes on how households access food, income and expenditure and determines food/income deficits that arise as a result of impact shocks such as COVID-19.