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[TORONTO, 29 March 2006] – Save the Children Canada, a leading child protection agency around the world, has begun start-up operations for emergency food aid, water and health services to children and mothers in the drought-affected regions of Kenya. It is estimated that approximately 500,000 children are facing severe food and water shortages. Save the Children has deployed at team of experts, including emergency advisors, nutritionists and child protection officers, to work on-site in the Isiolo and Kajiado Districts. It is currently estimated that that $3.3 million USD will be needed to address the needs of children and mothers in the Isiolo and Kajiado districts of Kenya for the next 12 months. The emergency response unit is focused on supporting children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and child-led households, through blanket feeding, livelihood support, longer-term supplementary feeding, water trucking for schools, borehole rehabilitation and maintenance, and a cross-cutting child protection and participation project. Although both Isiolo and Kajiado Districts have received scattered rain recently, many areas have still received no rainfall, particularly in the hardest hit divisions. Long-term precipitation forecasts are not positive for either area. Reports from both districts indicate widespread devastation among livestock herds, with increasing issues of carcass disposal arising in many communities. Save the Children has special expertise in addressing the needs of Children in situations of disaster and has been working to address poverty and HIV/AIDS in Kenya since 1984. The Canadian organisation is leading the global drought response in Kenya, on behalf of its International Save the Children Alliance.