Acute malnutrition across the ASAL counties has significantly deteriorated, and such is the trend over the past seasons. Compared to last year during the same period, the nutrition situation is of great concern: Laisamis in Marsabit County and Turkana South was classified in Extremely Critical levels of Acute Malnutrition (IPC AMN Phase 5 - GAM WHZ ≥30 percent). Samburu, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Turkana West, Turkana Central, Turkana North, Tiaty Sub-County in Baringo, North Horr and Moyale sub-counties in Marsabit County in a Critical situation (IPC AMN Phase 4 - GAM WHZ 15 to 29.9 percent) while West Pokot, Laikipia, Tana River and Wajir are in a Serious situation (IPC AMC Phase 3 - GAM WHZ 10 to 14.9 percent). Acute food insecurity, primarily due to low milk availability, WASH, high disease burden and suboptimal multisector interventions to address the needs, compounded by insecurity, are amongst the major contributing factors in the worst affected areas.

For the projected period (March to May), the situation is expected to deteriorate, with four areas expected to be in IPC AMN Phase 5. The deteriorating nutrition situation is mainly attributed to the worsening food insecurity, characterised by low milk availability, increasing food prices, unfavourable terms of trade and insufficient water.

• Further scale-up of mass screening, and mapping of areas with high malnutrition burden;
• Scale up of integrated health and nutrition outreaches;
• Implement blanket supplementary feeding in the most affected areas to cushion children and women from acute malnutrition, given the projected worsening of an already precarious situation;
• Heighten resource mobilisation to improve the nutrition supply pipeline for commodities to manage moderate acute malnutrition;
• Update contingency and nutrition response plans at national and county levels;
• Further scale-up of timely nutrition and health situation monitoring and surveillance;
• Further scale-up of multi-sectoral interventions to address the immediate needs with complementary actions to build the resilience of communities;
• Strengthen multi-sectoral approach to address the nutrition situation in collaboration with national and County Governments;
• Strengthen existing community structures to improve nutrition and health services;
• Innovative approaches to increase access to services in high-insecurity areas.