This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
On November 2019, a devastating landslide in West Pokot left 40 people dead and many more displaced. The Kenya Red Cross Society has since announced plans to construct new houses for the affected families, with the project expected to benefit 228 families.
According to Red Cross West Pokot County Coordinator Scolasticah Kapelo, the project is part of the society's disaster management programme, which aims to help affected families recover and carry on with their lives. The programme has four stages: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation processes.
Ms. Kapelo noted that the society has identified deserving cases with the help of village elders and local authorities, ensuring that no one is left behind in the resettlement. The project is expected to start in a few months' time, with the Kenya Red Cross Society working closely with the county multi-agency committee to resettle the affected people as soon as possible.
The project will focus on beneficiaries whose houses were totally destroyed by the landslide. Ms. Kapelo expressed gratitude to every department and individual who responded to the disaster, saying that the positive response has been overwhelming.
On the ground, the impact of the landslide was dire, with people and animals trapped and buried alive. Sondany Location chief Joel Bulal reported that 12 people died in Nyarkulian and four others lost their lives in Parua.
