The coastal counties of Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, and Tana River are still in dire need of emergency relief due to the recent heavy flooding.
The coastal counties have been battered by torrential rains opening the way for floodwaters to overwhelm the region forcing residents to flee to higher ground before the rushing waters overtook and destroyed homes and property.
Kenya Red Cross Society coast region is appealing for immediate humanitarian assistance to support 1,224 people impacted by the recent unprecedented flooding.
Hassan Musa, the Kenya Red Cross Society Coast regional manager says the humanitarian agency is providing food and nonfood items to the affected families spread in 42 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Mr. Musa says the humanitarian organization with the assistance of the county governments has so far distributed food, kitchen sets, blankets, tarpaulins, sleeping mats, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and water disinfectants.
“The severe flooding has left stricken victims urgently needing food, essential medicine and clean water. With more rain predicted, a rapid response to this catastrophe is crucial to help reduce the risk of water-borne diseases and a possible food crisis,” he added.
Musa says the risk of cholera and malaria infection is on the increase and already several cases have been reported in Tana River and Lamu counties where relief supplies are being sent there by air and water.
He called on residents living on the banks of the River Tana and others living in other flood-prone areas in the region to relocate to safer locations to avoid disaster.
“Many people especially those in hard-to-reach areas have not received meaningful help and there is a general need for food, medication, mattresses, and blankets”, he said.
Speaking to the press in Kwale County, Musa says the ongoing El Nino weather phenomenon continues to wreak havoc in many parts of the coastal region.
The Red Cross official says the El Nino phenomenon is responsible for rising temperatures and aggravating extreme weather events such as severe droughts and catastrophic flooding.
He pointed out that the Red Cross continues to rescue and evacuate villagers marooned in the Tana Delta sub-county of Tana River where the unrelenting downpours and resultant flooding caught many by surprise.
Musa says enormous areas of farmlands were washed away, food reserves and crops were destroyed livestock has been depleted and the conditions remain dire.
He added that the humanitarian agency was working round the clock to ensure that the IDP camps were in good shape, fumigated, and with the necessary amenities in place to ensure that it was habitable for the flood-stricken families.
According to the National El Nino Steering Committee floods have killed a total of 120 people, with Tana River, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties worst hit.
While counties like Isiolo, Kwale, Homabay, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Meru, and Kisumu are on high alert.
By Hussein Abdullahi
