Kenya is experiencing a particularly short rainy season (October to December 2019) following a prolonged period of drought that was characterized by two consecutive seasons of poor rainfall. Approximately 3 million people are projected to face IPC Phases 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) in October 2019. However, many regions have received heavy rainfall since the onset of the short rains in early October, which has resulted in flash floods, mudslides and landslides across the country. According to an assessment conducted by the Kenya Red Cross Society, more than 100,000 people northern and eastern regions have been negatively affected. At least 14,000 people have been displaced and 29 flood-related deaths have been reported.
Destruction and damage of key infrastructure; including roads, bridges, schools and health facilities has been reported in multiple locations. Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit and Turkana counties have been particularly affected by the flooding. This is due to the combined effects of the above normal rainfall being experienced and large amounts of runoff water from the Ethiopian highlands. According to flood assessment reports, at least 983 acres of farmland have been destroyed and 21,710 livestock killed. This has severely impacted livelihoods, including in areas already facing challenges due to drought.
Approximately 52 schools are inaccessible in Mandera and Wajir counties, while 14 health facilities cannot be reached in Mandera, Wajir and Marsabit. In Lodwar town and the surrounding areas in Turkana County, nine out of 12 water boreholes were destroyed, impacting about 70,000 people.
According to the recent Kenya Initial Rapid Assessment conducted in Wajir, roads linking various towns and settlements in the county are impassable, hampering the supply of essential food commodities and drugs for health facilities. There are reports of shortages of food and the price of available food is on the rise. Water sanitation and hygiene facilities have been affected with over 1,000 pit latrines destroyed and now exposing the affected population to water-borne diseases.
Immediate needs include emergency food assistance, distribution of non-food items, evacuation of low-lying households to safer grounds and provision of water treatment chemicals. National and County government agencies in partnership with NGOs have initiated a response, but significant gaps remain.
