ReliefWeb

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

The March – April – May 2018 rainfall season resulted in floods in many parts of the country. The March-April-May 2018 rains season ended in June 2018 in many parts of the country though some areas continued to receive. Increased inflows resulted in dam spillages the worst being the Solai Dam in Nakuru collapsed resulting in 47 fatalities and displacement of 283 households. The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) dams of Kiambere, Gitaru, Kamburu, Kindaruma and Masinga dams begun to spill on the 17th May 2018 resulting into further flooding in parts of Garissa, Tana River and Kitui counties.

During the floods response and according to the Ministry of Health’s Disease Outbreak situation report dated 13th November, 2018 cholera outbreak had affected a total of 20 counties since January 2018 in which a total of 5,796 cases with 78 deaths (CFR 1.3%) have been documented. Within the reporting period also outbreaks of measles (718 cases and 1 death (CFR 0.1%), Rift valley fever with three counties of Wajir, Marsabit and Siaya reporting human cases of RVF and 12 counties reporting animal cases. There were also relatively high numbers of malaria cases in the flood prone counties in the malaria low endemic and epidemic prone areas. The affected counties also still struggle with relatively high levels of malnutrition amongst the children under-five years, pregnant and lactating mothers as access to food had been interrupted. It is worth noting that the country has active measles transmission which could be exacerbated with the compromised immunity among under-fives due to under-nutrition. Counties that have been cut off such as Wajir and Mandera are experiencing serious challenges with access to essential commodities and supplies like drugs and related pharmaceutical supplies, nutrition commodities food and other essentials.

Access to markets in a number of counties like Garissa, Wajir and Tana River has been temporarily disrupted due to infrastructural damage caused by the floods. Some of the affected population are at a risk of food shortage as they continue to survive on diminishing stocks. At least 68,780 acres of farmland has been submerged in water, destroying crops within the same counties that had been affected by drought. Incidences of landslides have also been reported in a number of Counties including Nandi and Murang’a Counties. Destruction of water supply and irrigation infrastructure has been reported in Coast province (specifically the major Baricho Water supply), Makueni County (specifically Wote Town Water Supply), Nakuru County (specifically Solai Dam), Garissa County, Tana River County & Isiolo County cutting short water supply. Irrigation systems have been reported damaged in Garissa, Tana River, Kibwezi, and Makueni Counties.

Cumulatively, floods effects have been reported in 40 counties in the country and resulted in displacement of 54,500HHs (approx. 327, 000 people), with 197 lives lost during the season (M-A-M 2018). KRCS teams continue with interventions in the affected counties as has been detailed in the various sections.