More than 100 Kenyans have lost their lives due to the ongoing heavy rainfalls and landslides since early April, while thousands others have been displaced, Kenya Red Cross has said.
Floods have rendered major roads across Nairobi, central, northern Kenya and coastal areas impassable in the last two weeks.
“Several households have been affected with people displaced, infrastructure and crops damaged and animals swept away,” Kenya Red Cross said in a statement.
Last week, eight people perished when mudslides buried their homes as they slept in Murang’a.
“We would urge the national government to declare this a national disaster so that deliberate effort can be made and resources mobilized to help the affected people,” said Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Abbas Gullet.
Gullet commended the military and police for deploying helicopters to evacuate those affected by floods, but noted that more efforts were required. “Outbreaks of water-borne diseases were another concern across Kenya,” he added.
Gullet further called on the national government to set up a national disaster management fund to be used during such situations.
“We need a national disaster management fund set up,” Gullet said.
Red Cross said that at least 145,841 people have been displaced by floods in the Coast, 46,265 in Northeastern, 30,970 in the North Rift and 8,420 people in Western region.
“The total number of affected households is 44,858. At least 33 injuries have been reported,” Red Cross added.
