Floods displace 156 families in Bandi, Garsen – Red Cross

At least 156 families have been displaced in Bandi, Garsen following the ongoing floods.

The heavy rains have continued to ravage Tana River County as more villages are flooded while others are completely submerged, displacing thousands of residents.

Giving an update on Friday, Red Cross on its X official handle said that the number in Tana River is expected to rise.

"The number is expected to rise as more people seek higher ground," the statement reads

Still in Bandi, over 20 children and their mothers have been transported to a newly established camp near Garsen town.

Some villages in Tana River have remained inaccessible since the rains started and residents are trapped in their homesteads.

Some have refused to vacate to safer grounds, saying they will lack survival amenities in the areas they will be relocated to.   

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, more than 11,000 households have been affected by the floods in the county and the number is expected to rise as Tana Delta is still experiencing flooding. 

Red Cross listed three counties to watch as Kenya continues to experience the impact of the ongoing El Niño rains.

Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross Idris Ahmed said that the rains depending on the area, have different effects at different times.

"If you look at the weather forecast in the next two weeks, we shall have more concern in western Kenya, lake basin, south rift region," he said.

Ahmed explained that the ongoing El Nino rains and its impacts, is quite a difficult situation for the country.

He noted that the current situation of the floods has affected about 29 counties in Kenya.

"As we speak now, the counties that are most affected in northern parts of the country are; Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marasbit, Samburu, Isiolo but the spread is pretty much across the country," Ahmed noted.