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Jill Biden on Sunday pleaded with the nations of the world to help the starving people of East Africa, which is experiencing a record drought.
The first lady visited Lositeti village in Kajiado county in the Southern part of Kenya to talk food insecurity. The Horn of Africa – which is comprised of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia – is facing a possible famine.
The United States is providing 70 percent of the humanitarian assistance to the region, but Biden begged other nations to step up their contributions.
‘We cannot be the only ones. We have to have other countries join us in this global effort to help these people of the region,’ she said. ‘People are starving.’
Combating food insecurity was one of the primary reasons Biden made her five-day trip to Africa, where she touted American assistance as she worked to shore up relationships on a continent where China is making its influence known.
Jill Biden meets with women in Kenya on Sunday, February 26 on the final stop of her Africa trip
The first lady pleaded for other nations to held contribute aid to the Horn of Africa, which is comprised of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Currently, the U.S. provides 70% of the assistance to the region
The first lady acknowledged other world events taking up available assistance money, including the war in the Ukraine, but insisted help was needed in Africa.
‘There is the war in Ukraine. There is the earthquake in Turkey. I mean there are a lot of competing interests,’ she said, adding her plea for more help.
In the Horn of Africa, 23 million people need assistance, according to USAID. In Kenya, 4.4 million people face food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.
Biden spent about 90 minutes on the ground total, visiting an outreach center that provides medical assistance and meeting with local women to hear about the drought has impacted them.
The Biden’s granddaughter Naomi accompanied the first lady.
She was greeted by a group of female singers and dancers who surrounded her as a red scarf was placed over her left shoulder.
They also gave Biden a beaded necklace to wear, which are made by the Maasai to represent their culture.
The Lositeti village is the location for the only water for a radius of 25 miles, per George Ombis of USAID, so it is a popular spot for people to gather.
About 1,000 people were there to see Biden, even walking around her motorcade to observe all the vehicles.
Ombis said parents can bring their children to the outreach center to be screened for malnutrition – ‘the rates of which are going up and up and up.’
Down from the tents was a water trough. It is attached to well operated by solar power, which Ombis said is crucial since that way they are not dependent on fuel. He said there is water but it is deep in the ground and needs to be brought up.
‘Everyone is crowding in here – bringing their animals and their children. And that, of course, is putting extra pressure on the community here,’ he noted.
Biden visited during drought conditions. it was a hot, dry day. The wind blew up dirt, leaving a coat of red dust on everything. Flies swarmed around people and animals.
Jill Biden talks to a little girl in Kajiado Central, Kenya
Jill’s visit was to a gathering place where people collect water as Kenya faces a drought
There was not much plant life and what was there was sparse. Cows were there along with a few dogs and goats but, again, not many. Ombis said half the livestock in the area have died.
Ombis took Biden on a tour of the outreach center, which has stations to weigh children, evaluate their nutrition needs, vaccinate them and give medical advice.
A young girl, who looked younger than one, wearing a hot pink dress, sat on her mom’s lap, sucking her thumb and staring at the crowd of photographers taking photos of Biden.
Biden greeted her when she came over. ‘You have such a pretty little dress. I love her dress.’
The first lady introduced herself as Jill Biden from the United States.
She had many questions, including access to food and education, along with how people were making their living. Many people rely on agriculture and their livestock for their income, meaning poverty has struck the area.
She saw the water trough, which was about 10 feet long and three-fourths of the way filled with water. Cows were grazing near it.
She reflected on the event.
‘The water here feeds 12 villages and each village has approximately 1,000 to 1,200 people. So they are coming here, they are coming here to get water, they are bringing their livestock. But unfortunately for many of them their living comes from their livestock. And for most of them their live stock are dying. So they are having a hard time. Their children are malnourished. They cannot feed their children,’ she said.
On the way back to Nairobi, Biden got a treat. A giraffe was eating on the side of a road. She and Naomi BIden stopped to get out of their car to see it.
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