Protect girls, women from climate shocks

Kenya's northern pastoral regions are experiencing a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale, with approximately 3.3 million people facing severe food insecurity. The crisis, concentrated in counties including Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa, represents a critical convergence of environmental stress, economic vulnerability, and gender-based vulnerability that demands urgent attention from both policymakers and the international business community. The underlying drivers of this crisis extend beyond immediate drought conditions. These arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) have experienced cyclical climate shocks for decades, but the frequency and intensity of droughts have accelerated dramatically over the past five years. Erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry seasons, and the degradation of pastoral resources have collapsed traditional livelihood systems that sustained communities for generations. This structural breakdown disproportionately affects women and girls, who shoulder responsibility for household food security while lacking equivalent access to productive resources, credit facilities, or alternative income streams. The gendered dimensions of this crisis are particularly stark. Girls are withdrawn from school at higher rates during food shortages to reduce household consumption costs. Women face increased vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking as economic desperation mounts. Female-headed households—already among the poorest demographic segments—lack the assets and social capital to weather extended crises. These patterns are