7,878 schools affected by El Nino rains ahead of reopening
As of January 5, 2024, the El Nino rains have impacted a minimum of 7,878 educational institutions.
This information comes from The National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Centre.
The government emphasized its efforts on repairing damaged infrastructure, stating that ongoing renovations are in progress at the affected schools before they reopen.
Continuing with infrastructure matters, ongoing initiatives are focused on repairing the Gamba-Witu road in Tana River County and the Kona Punda-Mororo road in Garissa County.
The Emergency Centre observed that the count of displaced households has decreased to 15,208 spread across 79 camps, down from the original 170 camps that accommodated 109,179 displaced households.
During the continuous endeavors to provide relief and aid in recovery, the State Department of Special Programs has given out more than 4,604.6 metric tonnes of food supplies.
This includes rice, beans, fortified flour, and corned beef-affected Counties.
The Ministry of Health has sent 257 Metric tonnes of various supplies and items to the regions that have been impacted.
“Cholera Treatment Units have been set up in strategic health facilities.”
Furthermore, the government has urged Kenyan citizens to stay informed about the latest weather forecasts.
“As we transition from the El Niño rains, the Kenya Meteorological Department has released an extended forecast indicating predominantly sunny and dry conditions across most of the Country until at least the end of January 2024,” reads the statement.
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Nonetheless, areas such as the Lake Victoria basin, Southern Rift Valley, South-Eastern lowlands, and Highlands situated to the east of the Rift Valley, and the South Coast region are anticipated to encounter intermittent rainfall.
Already, the El Nino floods in the country have claimed 174 lives.
The National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Center announced on Friday that the floods resulted in the loss of 133 adults and 41 children.
Animals, including 6,706 mainly goats and sheep, were also casualties in the loss.
“The agricultural sector has also been severely impacted with crop devastation affecting around 84,568 acres,” reads the statement.
The state approximated that the agricultural sector has incurred losses totaling Sh16.26 billion.
Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Homabay, and Kitui experienced the most severe impact from El Nino, posing a significant risk to food security in those areas.
The government has prioritized the execution of cash transfer initiatives in partnership with other entities.
“The Hunger Safety Net Programme and organizations such as the World Food Programme, Plan International, World Vision, and Arid Lands Development Focus Kenya have been instrumental in implementing cash transfer programs, benefiting 9,858 affected households,” the statement reads.
7,878 schools affected by El Nino rains ahead of reopening