Kenya: Tens of Thousands Hungry After Floods – Humanitarian Agencies



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By Nita Bhalla

Nairobi – After a severe drought last year, East Africa was hit by two months of heavy rains that disrupted the lives of millions of people. people in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda

survivors of the worst floods in Kenya in recent years live with barely two billion foodstuffs, two days after the disaster, warned aid workers Wednesday, calling the authorities to provide more funding and support.

and in April, dams and rivers overflowed into parts of the East African nation, submerging crops and taking away homes. At least 186 people died and more than 300,000 were forced to flee.

As water levels dropped and many people returned home, aid workers in the most affected coastal region of Tana River said, "The majority of the 150,000 displaced people in Tana River are still in the camps as they have not received any information from the authorities as to the safety of the return or not, "said Matthew Cousins. , Oxfam Kenya's humanitarian director

"They have nothing to find, their homes and crops were destroyed and they received no help to rebuild their lives."

After a severe drought last year, East Africa was hit by two months of heavy rains, disrupting the lives of millions of people in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and in Uganda.

Kenya experiences two rainy seasons – from March to May and from October to November According to the country's meteorological department, the annual rainfall recorded this year is the highest in 50 years.

In Tana River County, the floods not only damaged infrastructure such as roads, bridges and schools, but also flooded farmland. Lack of clean water and lack of hygiene in the camps also caused a cholera outbreak with about 300 people who contracted the life-threatening disease, although aid workers said it was There had been no new cases for more than 7 days.

"People need food, they do not have enough to eat, we have people in the camps and many children, women and the elderly seem weak and malnourished," said Ahmed Ibrahim, responsible for the charity Arid Lands Development Focus

"Some said that the last good meal they ate was a chapatti.a cup of tea, that was also there are two or The Tana River County Government said in May that it needed about $ 70 million to help flood survivors rebuild their homes and livelihoods, but that humanitarian aid The officials said that funds promised by the federal government were not obtained.

County officials confirmed that the central government had delayed funding, but said that funds would be provided, adding that people should soon return home. "I do not know how much of the $ 70 million we received, but we did not receive everything," Salim Bagana, secretary of the Tana River government told Thomson Reuters Foundation. delays but now money arrives and people should go home. We will help them start their lives again and we ask our humanitarian partners to help us. "

Report by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, edited by Claire Cozens

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