OVERVIEW

Isiolo County lies at the crossroads of northern and central Kenya, serving as a vital link between the arid north and Kenya’s agricultural heartlands. The county is predominantly semi-arid, inhabited by pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities whose livelihoods depend on livestock, small trade, and natural resources.

Isiolo faces persistent challenges from drought, conflict over grazing lands, and the impacts of climate change, but it also demonstrates the power of locally led collaboration. Through the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), member organizations in Isiolo are building community-driven solutions that promote peace, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance. These efforts ensure that the people of Isiolo are not just recipients of aid, but active contributors to Kenya’s broader development and humanitarian agenda.

Through the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), local member organizations are strengthening community resilience, improving access to basic services, and supporting peacebuilding across Mandera’s six sub-counties. They combine humanitarian assistance with long-term development and governance initiatives, ensuring that local leadership remains at the centre of all interventions. Garissa has long played a central role in Kenya’s humanitarian landscape — hosting large refugee populations, supporting resilience programming, and serving as a coordination hub for ASAL response initiatives. Through the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), member organizations in Garissa are driving locally led action that links emergency response to peacebuilding, governance, and inclusive development.