Clerics: Garissa flood victims need more help

The Council of Imam and Preachers of Kenya is now appealing to the government, NGOs and well wishers to increase their support to flood victims being hosted in different camps in Garissa.

Garissa has the largest number of IDPs, totaling 21,770  across 12 camps.

CIPK chairman Garissa branch, Sheikh Abdinasir Ali Abdi, said the number of IDPs in need of relief items was big, hence the need for all stakeholders to double their efforts.

“A walk at the IDPs camps that are spread across Garissa town reveals an extremely dire situation. We have mothers and young children in the camps who need to be assisted in a big way. The fact that numbers of those in need of assistance only serves to make the situation much more difficult,” Abdi said.

"It is for this reason that I am calling on the all stakeholders to continue pulling the resources together and channel the same to those who have been affected. Those who have not been affected by the floods also have a role to play in alleviating the suffering of our brothers and sisters.”

He was speaking at Young Muslim Secondary School in Iftin Ward during an exercise to distribute aid to 1,000 flood victims from Mororo and Bakuyu currently camping at the school.

The CIPK chair, who was flanked by religious leaders, said Kenyans have always stood together during difficult times.

Sala Ward MCA Mohamud Ali Barrow said 80 per cent of his constituents have been affected by the floods.

Even though majority of the victims have received both food and non-food aid, more needs to be done, the MCA said.

He took issue with the aid from the Tana River county, saying the emergency funds that the Assembly allocates should be appropriately used during such times.

The MCA called on the government to fast-track the ongoing road project that will help control spillage from dams owing to the overflow from the River Tana.

He welcomed a recent announcement by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who said KenGen will review the damage caused by the floods and compensate victims and farmers in constituencies along the lower Tana.

Assistant County Commissioner Dancan Rono called on the IDPs taking refuge in schools to move, so that learning can resume. Rono said the IDPs would be directed by the government on where to move. 

A tally issued by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday shows 289 Kenyans have been killed by the floods.

A total of 57,120 households have been displaced, directly affecting approximately 285,336 people.