This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Heavy rains and floods have ravaged West Pokot and 11 other counties in Kenya, leaving thousands of people displaced and in need of assistance.
According to the Government, 330,000 people have been affected by the floods and landslides, with 17,000 displaced from their homes and 132 killed.
UNICEF Kenya Representative Maniza Zaman said, “Children’s lives have been interrupted by the ongoing rains and floods in Kenya, with many of them losing their homes, schools and access to health care and we are working closely with county governments in affected areas to provide life-saving interventions, to meet the immediate needs of flood affected children and their families.”
UNICEF has distributed supplies in the areas of child protection, education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation in affected counties, including pre-positioned supplies stored in flood and drought-prone areas.
Some of the supplies sent include over 200,000 sachets of oral rehydration, 85,000 bottles of sodium lactate solution to treat severe diarrhea, 30,000 tablets to treat pneumonia, and 1,600 cholera test kits.
UNICEF has also partnered with communities to improve water sanitation and hygiene, providing 22,400 jerry cans, 22,500 buckets, 53,000 bars of soap, over 311,000 sachets of water purification chemicals, and 2.1 million tablets of water treatment chemicals.
As the Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains are expected to continue across the country up to mid-December, UNICEF is working closely with communities to improve their emergency preparedness.
“UNICEF will continue to support the ongoing flood response in order to ensure that children are safe, healthy, and able to continue their education. To achieve this, we work closely with communities in flood and drought affected areas to prepare them for any future natural disaster,” Zaman said.
