- This week's floods in Kenya have affected an approximately 8,360 people in nine districts, causing 11 deaths, according to the first assessment of the disaster. Roads and bridges were washed away, cutting off transport routes.
Heavy rainfall at the onset of the Long Rains Season (March-June) caused flooding in several locations in Kenya, affecting an estimated 8,360 people, according to the UN's humanitarian affairs agency OCHA. Flooding has been reported in at least nine districts in Northern, North-Eastern and Western parts of Kenya.
"An estimated 11 people are reported dead, infrastructure of unknown value is damaged and hundreds of livestock and farming areas have been washed away," an OCHA report sums up the disaster.
On 7 March, Homa Bay was struck by stormy winds which led to destruction of roof tops of five households. Thirty-seven people were affected, says the Kenyan Red Cross. Volunteers did a quick assessment and supported the families with tarpaulins to act as temporary shelter as they seek to fix their roofs amid the continued rains.
In Marsabit, heavy rains affected five locations and caused damage to 420 houses. In Marsabit South District, floods caused destruction of semi- permanent structured houses and unknown number of trees were washed away. Over 400 sheep and goats were washed away. The great north road from Nairobi to Ethiopia is no longer passable after the Waso River flooded and the bridge was destroyed.
In Turkana, Lokori division which suffered major infrastructure damages due to floods in the October-December short rains, has again been affected by flooding. A main road connecting Turkana and Marich has been damaged and is unusable. Irrigation canals have been damaged.
In Moyale, heavy winds blew off roof tops of three classrooms, a storeroom and an administration block in Anone Primary School. 66 people were displaced by floods in the district. Some 200 goats and sheep, 80 cattle are missing.
In Mandera district, some 4,350 households have been affected by floods, according to the Kenyan Red Cross. The District Administration says Mandera - Lafey road up to Arabia is currently impassable. About 1050 households are displaced in the district.
While the damage of the floods has been grave, OCHA and the Kenyan Red Cross register only limited needs for humanitarian response. Displaced households needed emergency shelter support and potable water. "20 bridges require repairs across the country after rains washed away bridges and roads posing a logistics challenge for the flow of humanitarian aid," the report notes.
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