Hundreds of school aged children at the Maramutu flood victims camp are yet to resume learning since the schools opened on Monday this week.
Speaking to the press on Thursday at the camp, the victims said their households, including school uniforms were swept away by the December rains floods.
Marian Abdullahi said that the 150 families who are still camped at displacement camp depended on irrigation farming but the same farms were destroyed by the floods.
“We lost all the crops that were ripe and ready for the market. Most of the families here have not gone back to the farms because they remain inaccessible,” Marian said.
“Majority of us are virtually destitute and it will take several months before we recover,” she added.
Hussein Ramadhan said that the victim’s woes have been compounded further by failure by the National Government and aid agencies to recognize the camp.
“Immediately we moved into the camp two months ago, we took the list of the victims to the area Chief and we are yet to receive any assistance,” Ramadhan said.
He said the supplied non food items, including tents and mosquito nets to nearby camps but Maramutu was left behind.
Others victims who spoke urged the County Government to provide seedlings to the farmers and other aid agencies to assist the victims with food and other necessities.
Flood victims in other camps also complained of the slow response by the government and other aid agencies to their plight.
“We were given food rations that lasted only for a few days. We received food twice a month and life in the camp has been extremely difficult,” one victim, who requested anonymity said.
“It seems the government is fatigued by the flood victims and soon they might abandon us,” she added
By Jacob Songok
