This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
Heavy rains in Garissa County have left over 500 camels stranded in a swampy area in Fafi sub-county. The situation has been dire for the past three days, with the camels unable to move due to the muddy terrain.
A team of rescuers from the Kenya Red Cross and Garissa County Government has been working tirelessly to secure the camels' safety. The team, led by Abdinoor Ole Hussein, the County's special program director, has managed to rescue most of the animals, but around 60 more are still trapped in the area.
According to Abdinoor, the area is vast and forested, making it difficult to reach the camels. He explained that the team had to abandon their gumboots to walk through the sludge, which was so huge that it reached beyond their knees.
"I witnessed five of them unable to move, we were able to rescue some but the area is forested and huge, we are speaking of an area about 70km wide," Abdinoor said.
Residents said the heavy rains had worsened the situation, making the area impassable. The herders, who had taken their camels to upstream before the rains, are now desperate to have their livestock taken to safety.
"Those remaining can only be moved by a chopper, the herders are desperate to have their livestock taken to safety," Abdinoor said.
The Kenya Red Cross's Northeastern regional manager, Mohamed Abdikadir, confirmed that the remaining camels are being secured.
