This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
Kenya: Hundreds in Need of Aid As Floods Wreak Havoc in Lamu ¶
Published on December 22, 2019
Severe flooding in Lamu County has left hundreds of residents in dire need of food and medication. The floods, caused by rivers bursting their banks, have affected villages in Lamu and Garissa counties.
Residents in Bodhai-Junction village, on the border of Lamu and Garissa counties, have been unable to access food and medical aid due to the floods. The village's 70 households are in dire need of assistance as the roads connecting the village to other parts of Lamu have been washed away.
"We are suffering here. No one can come to our village and no one can leave. Our biggest problem is food and medication. Since the floods washed away our roads and bridges, movement here is a nightmare. The daring ones have to swim across, which is very dangerous as one can drown," said Mr. Hussein Ajo, a resident of Bodhai-Junction village.
Residents in Pandanguo village, in Lamu West, are also struggling due to the floods. The 21-kilometre Pandanguo-Witu road has been rendered impassable, leaving over 2,000 residents without access to shops, hospitals, schools, and other essential services.
"The situation is really bad. The drugs in the dispensary are almost finished. We can't reach the hospital in Witu. We can't even get to the markets or shops to buy food items as our road has been completely rendered impassable. We don't know what will happen now," said Mr. Adan Golja, a village elder in Pandanguo.
