The Turkana area along with much of northern Kenya and southern Sudan has experienced prolonged droughts in 1991/92, 1996/97 and 1998/99 leading to increased vulnerability and food insecurity for the Turkana people. The World Food Programme estimated in 2000 that due to the recent drought 2.2 million people across northern Kenya were in need of general food distribution; over 1 million children required feeding and over 430,000 pregnant and lactating women and children under-five, needed supplementary feeding. In 2000 UNICEF reported that "the infant mortality rate of 74/1,000 live births is worse than that of 1993, 67/1,000 live births. There has also been an increase in the under-five mortality rate from 96/1,000 live births in 1993 to 112/1,000 live births in 1998. Maternal mortality is 590/100,000 live births and expected to worsen with the 20% of all pregnant women being HIV positive." The aim of New Ways nutritional projects is primarily to reduce the child mortality rate by focusing on nutritional supplements for the pre-primary and primary age group. We began a long term project in October 1998 to provide nutrition to this age group. This is our largest current project and supports over twelve hundred children through nursery schools located in villages across the region (Nutritional Units Project). Our annual commitment to the project is currently running at £140,000.