Flooding displaces more than 200,000 in Kenya, fueling hunger

Deadly flooding in Kenya has killed over 260 people and displaced over 280,000 as it swept away entire communities and destroyed bridges, roads, healthcare facilities, and other key infrastructure. Dangerous mudslides have engulfed buildings, schools, businesses and homes.

Torrential downpours have submerged over 41,000 acres of croplands and thousands of livestock have died or been lost amidst the deluge. In a country where two-thirds of people live in poverty and many depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, a hunger crisis may be imminent.

The flooding has also contaminated clean water sources, making ponds, rivers, and streams a breeding ground for diseases. Cholera cases have already been reported and other waterborne illnesses like diarrhea are likely, compounding the impacts of malnutrition.  Action Against Hunger is responding in affected areas, including Tana River, Mandera, Isiolo, West Pokot, and Baringo Counties, distributed sanitation and hygiene kits to over 71,000 people across five counties. Families received 20-liter Jerricans, 10-liter buckets, soaps, and water treatment chemicals, all of which can last for three months. Women and girls were also given menstrual hygiene kits.

Our teams are supporting cash transfers to the affected populations, which will reach 48,000 people. We are conducting outreach in the hardest-to-reach areas, ensuring access to health services, and educating people about proper hygiene practices and the threat of waterborne diseases. Many people were given tarpaulins for temporary shelters, emergency latrines, mosquito nets, and sleeping nets. Currently, countless families across the country are living in displacement camps with little to their name. Many have left behind their entire lives and said goodbye to the only home they have ever known.

Displacement increases food insecurity. Prior to the floods, around two million people in Kenya were food insecure and 847,000 children were malnourished. Our teams are emphasizing the urgent need for funding and continued support in the aftermath of one of Kenya’s worst floods in history.

Climate change is the likeliest contributor to the higher-than-average precipitation. Last fall, research from World Weather Attribution showed that rain and flooding in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia was twice as intense due to climate change. Around the world, natural disasters are growing in size and magnitude and preventing people from accessing healthcare, clean water, food, and other basic necessities.

In Kenya, Wednesday May 8th was declared a public holiday in order to mourn the victims.