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Kenya floods: Ministry says key health services provided at IDP camps

Principal secretary Mary Muthoni, of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, distributes essentials to people displaced by floods in Tana Delta, Tana River County, on May 5, 2024. (Photo: X/Red Cross)

By Eastleigh Voice Reporter | Sunday, May 5, 2024

Amoth highlighted key services such as water chlorination, waste disposal, and immunisation via the dispatch of teams to villages.

With the heavy rains and resultant floods posing health risks, the Health ministry says it has taken steps to ensure essential services are available to displaced people living in camps across the country.

Via X on Sunday, Acting Director of Health Patrick Amoth said their goal is to ensure essential healthcare services are provided and that the necessary preventive and promotional measures are undertaken for the public's health and safety.

Amoth highlighted key services such as water chlorination, waste disposal, and immunisation via the dispatch of teams to villages.

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“We have also distributed food rations to ensure that pregnant women and children under five do not suffer acute malnutrition,” adding that teams have been sent to villages to ensure children do not miss key immunisations and that mothers are well taken care of post-natal.

Dr. Patrick Amoth, Acting Director of Health, reiterates the Ministry of Health's commitment to addressing flash floods caused by heavy rains. We've implemented stringent measures to provide essential promotive and preventive medical services in camps, prioritizing the safety and… pic.twitter.com/mwprlrRlJj
— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) May 5, 2024

Evacuation updates

Meanwhile, the Kenya Red Cross Society has continued to give updates on rescues and evacuations across the country.

In the Nyando and Kadibo sub-counties of Kisumu County, the Red Cross reported on Sunday evening that 22 people had been rescued by air and boat. It had the assistance of the county government, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and the Kenya Coast Guard Service.

"Air and aqua rescue operations are ongoing in Nyando and Kadibo to evacuate over 40 people marooned due to the River Nyando breaking its banks," it said via X, noting the KWS deployed a helicopter.

Response teams also went to Kobura Village, where at least 20 families were marooned after the River Nyando's overflow.

An elderly woman is taken to safety by members of the Kenya Red Cross Society following flooding in Ahero, Kisumu County, after the River Nyando burst its banks, on March 5, 2024. (Photo: X/Red Cross)

In the Mara, the Red Cross said the flood response was in collaboration with the Narok County Government, the Mara Elephant Project, and the community members.

In the Tana Delta, Tana River County, principal secretary Mary Muthoni, of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, visited a camp hosting many families, assessed the situation, distributed aid, and assured continued support.

The PS also handed over cholera response equipment and supplies, along with reproductive health kits, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The Red Cross, the national and county governments, and the M-Pesa Foundation have also made donations to at least 800 families in the area.

Members of the Kenya Red Cross Society help people marooned by floods in Baringo South Sub-county on May 4, 2024. (Photo: X/Red Cross)

In Longeiwan, Baringo South, 215 people—127 adults and 88 children—were taken to safety. Efforts to reach other villages in the same sub-county, such as Rine, Ilpunyaki and Leswaa, continue.

In Edume, Baringo South, 101 people—43 adults and 58 children—were rescued, bringing the total number of people saved in that sub-county to 316.