El Nino Floods claim 5 more people, raises death toll to 165
Residents of Ombeyi Village in Ahero are on the move to safer grounds after their houses were flooded by the heavy El Nino rains on 17th November 2015.
What you need to know:
- Ongoing Rescue operations have saved lives, including the recent rescue of five police officers from Sailon Village and the relocation of 80 individuals.
- However, key roads remain impassable, affecting accessibility to the affected areas and hindering relief efforts.
El Nino floods have claimed five more lives in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 165. The floods have also displaced 19,215 persons since yesterday, raising the total number to 539, 215.
The government has since set up 11 additional camps (five in Tana River, four in Kilifi and two in Lamu) to accommodate the displaced citizens.
The floods have also wrecked vital infrastructure, destroyed four roads, 832 acres of farms, 23 homesteads, three bridges, three schools, and a chief's office at Lamu County. Infrastructure at Faza Primary, Rehema primary and Safirisi Primary Schools have also been destroyed by the floods, and some are housing livestock.
In a media briefing in Lamu, Government spokesperson Dr Isaac Mwaura announced that Taita Taveta, Migori, and Meru Counties are the worst affected counties, with Lamu and Tana River Counties, expected to join the list due to floods that are expected to continue.
“In the last 24 hours, 5 deaths have been reported raising flood related toll to 165 deaths. We send our sincere condolences and sympathies to grieving families and urge Kenyans to remain vigilant, comply with alerts and cooperate with our evacuation teams to avert more deaths and injuries,” said Dr Mwaura.
“Ongoing Rescue operations have saved lives, including the recent rescue of five police officers from Sailon Village and the relocation of 80 individuals from Hewani and Kulesa village. However, key roads remain impassable, affecting accessibility to the affected areas and hindering relief efforts,” he added.
Dr Mwaura also announced that currently, a total of 1,770 acres of farmlands have been submerged in Hindi ward, while 2,100 acres of cropland have been destroyed in Bahari ward. 5,400 acres cropland have been destroyed in Mkunumbi ward, 6,382 acres marooned in Hongwe ward, 26,731 acres under production destroyed in Witu ward and 495 acres destroyed in Basuba ward.
The government has since kick started interventions to relieve the burden of those affected. They include “providing food deliveries, relocation efforts to higher ground in Moa area of Lamu, distribution of essential food items, water treatment supplies, medical drugs, veterinary support and delivery of Cholera kits to Lamu, Kilifi andMombasa Counties to help control the disease.”
“As we navigate this humanitarian crisis, our collective efforts remain focused on providing immediate relief and long-term support to those affected. We urge citizens to extend their solidarity and support to fellow Kenyans during this difficult period,” announced Mwaura.
“For further assistance or emergency incidents, Wananchi can contact the National Disaster Operations Centre on the toll-free line: 0800721571. We extend our deepest gratitude to all frontline responders, volunteers, and organizations involved in the ongoing relief efforts and reaffirm the government’s commitment to aiding those affected by this disaster,” he added.
