The Kenya Red Cross has issued a warning over impending flooding in Garissa and Tana River counties, saying the water level in River Tana was increasing.
Northeastern regional manager Mohamed Abdikadir on Sunday said people will be displaced and houses were likely to be submerged.
The alert followed another issued earlier in the week by Water Authority CEO Mohamed Shuriewho asked those living downstream to vacate as Masinga Dam was likely to overflow.
Abdikadir issued his alert as he led the distribution of relief support to 400 victims at the Ziwani IDP camp. They were given sugar, rice, wheat flour and cooking oil donated by the Red Cross in partnership with Supkem and CIPK.
More than 1,200 families from Bula Punda, Bula Iftin, Bouralgy, Bula Sheikh, Mororo and Windsor whose houses were submerged in floodwaters are camping in seven IDP camps.
“Unfortunately more waters mean more disasters in form of displacement. Since the rains started, we have been sending early warnings through the local stations and media to residents living along the river to move to safer grounds,” Abdikadir said.
Sheikh Hassan Abdi from Supkem regretted that displacements had become a norm every rainy. He said the trend must be reversed.
“It cannot be that whenever it rains, hundreds of people are displaced with property amounting to thousands of shillings destroyed. I think the situation can be corrected so that our people don’t have to worry whenever it rains,” Hassan said.
Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya chairman Sheikh Abdinasir Ali appealed to well-wishers to donate whatever little they have to help the affected families.
“As you can see the numbers of those in need of assistance is big. It is our responsibility as Kenyans to be mindful of each other. You don’t have to be a millionaire to assist,” Ali said.
The Kenya Livestock Marketing Council chairman Dubat Amey urged the ministry of devolution to create a contribution platform where Kenyans can drop their donations.
“We are urging the government to establish a task force that distributes the resources raised by Kenyans and other humanitarian agencies as well as coordinating the activities of resettling Kenyans who have been displaced,” Amey said.
edited by p. obuya
