At least 100 people have died and nearly 260,000 have been displaced by flooding in Kenya.Rescuers have been working to airlift stranded residents to safety and provide aid to isolated communities after heavy rain and landslides.Marshal Mukuvare, Disaster Management Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said on Friday that the majority of them in Tana River, Kilifi and Mandera counties.
Marshal Mukuvare, Disaster Management Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross. Credit: AP
"There has been more rains than people were expecting."Issues of poor drainage has also affected the flow of water and the seepage."The flooding has also destroyed homes and properties of people, livestock has also been affected, and crops, because most people were growing crops for the rainy season."
Rescuers have been working to airlift stranded residents to safety. Credit: AP
Floods from seasonal rains hit as the East African nation was recovering from a devastating drought last year.Mukuvare said the (IFRC) launched an appeal to provide shelter, food and medical assistance, warning the floods could trigger or worsen outbreaks of diseases such as malaria and cholera."With this emergency appeal we are looking to support and assist over 150,000 people with shelter, support, distribution of non-food items, some food assistance, water and sanitation services particularly hygiene promotion," he said.
