Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki Friday reassured Kenyans that the government will mobilize enough resources to ensure those in need of food are catered for.

In his Christmas message to Kenyans, President Kibaki called on Kenyans to extend a helping hand to those in need and to give hope to those in despair.

Noting that thousands of people in northern Kenya and parts of Coast and Eastern provinces have been rendered destitute as a result of rainfall failure in the areas for the third successive year, the president said there will be adequate interventions to minimize the impact of the drought.

The president said as Kenyans celebrate during this festive season, they should remember other members of the national family that are facing various difficulties.

"Foremost in my mind are the sick who are receiving attention in our hospitals or at home. Let us pay attention to these members of our national family by devoting time and prayers to God for their quick recovery," Kibaki said.

He pointed out that as a caring society, Kenyans should always be ready to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate members of the society, saying that would be in line with the spirit of giving of Christmas.

At least 10 people have died in northeastern Kenyan town of Mandera amid fears thousands more in arid and semi-arid areas in the east and northeast will go hungry because the short rains have failed.

Local newspapers have reported that there were fears that more deaths could have gone unreported because the largely pastoralist and Muslim communities in the area bury their dead within 24 hours.

More than 70 children are admitted at the district hospital with severe malnutrition, diarrhea and dysentery.

Aid workers said thousands of people could die if action is not taken immediately.

The appeal came barely a week after the east African nation appealed for urgent food aid, saying hundreds of thousands of people in arid and semi-arid areas in the east and northeast are in dire need of food aid.

The food security experts said the October to December short rains were extremely bad in northeastern pastoral districts and rainfall in eastern marginal agricultural areas was erratic, patchy and 30 percent below normal overall.

Significant livestock deaths have been reported because of a lack of water, pasture and other factors, the experts said.

Last week, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that the number of people in need of food in Kenya was expected to rise to 2.5 million in the first half of 2006 because the October-December short rains had failed in many eastern and northern districts.

Some 1.1 million Kenyans are currently receiving general food aid distributions, according to the WFP.

Source: Xinhua