The government will provide food and other basic items for flood victims across the country, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has said.
Eugene said that 29 people have died from the floods, seven of whom are from Wajir.
The CS spoke in Buna town on Sunday after leading a two-day distribution of food and other relief items to victims of flash floods in Wajir county.
The rains pounding the county have left a trail of destruction. According to the latest government statistics, at least 70,000 people have been affected.
The weatherman has predicted more rains in the coming two months.
Eugene said that the government has adequate resources to assist all flood victims across the country.
He was accompanied in Wajir by Governor Mohamed Abdi, Wajir North MP Ahmed Abdisalan and other national and county officials.
The CS said the state will mobilise its resources including additional helicopters from the military in order to airlift humanitarian assistance to people held up inaccessible areas due to rains.
“We are here to give support to areas where there has been serious devastation to the infrastructure and villages that have been overwhelmed totally by the floods. The work of the government is to ensure the safety of its population and their property,” he said.
Some of the areas the CS visited include Buna, Gurar, Ajawa, Wajir Bor, Kotulo, Waititi, and Korondile that are located in Wajir North, Wajir South and Wajir East subcounties.
Governor Abdi said the county was extremely overstretched having dealt with the just concluded drought situation.
“We are faced with adverse effects of climate change manifesting in two extremes. Our resilient people are emerging from a biting drought to devastating floods on our doorsteps,” he said.
He appealed for help from the ministry and donors “because the situation in most of the subcounties is bad”.
“We have suffered severe destruction of critical infrastructure. Our roads are cut off and while the rains and floods are recharging our water sources, it has left a trail of destruction,” he said.
Abdi said several schools have been submerged in floodwaters, water installations washed away and some health facilities cut off, making it completely impossible to render services to the people.
