Families rendered homeless after floods cause havoc in Lamu East Villages

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A flooded village in neighboring Lamu county PHOTO: NATASHA NEMA.

Lamu, KENYA: Several families in Lamu East have been left in the cold after their homes were swept away by floods caused by the heavy rains pounding the region.

Hundreds of villagers from Kiunga,Bonini and Marerini have had to seek and set up temporary shelters elsewhere after they were rendered homeless by the floods.

According to Lamu East sub county administrator Shee Kupi,over 70 houses have been swept away while more than 500 locals have been left homeless following the heavy rains pounding the area since Monday.

He said a team from the Red Cross,the National Disaster Management Authority-NDMA and the county government have already arrived to assess the situation and offer aid to the affected.

“Currently we have lost 70 households and there are at least 500 people who are now homeless as a result but we already have officials on the ground doing all they can to help the affected,” said Kupi.

Lamu County Red Cross coordinator Kawthar Alwy said they had already distributed water treatments in order to avert outbreaks of related illnesses.

According to Mohamed Sharif of the Kiunga Conservancy, there is need for  plans to be made to direct the rain water into the Indian ocean in order to avert similar crises whenever it rains in the region.

“This area is lower than the rest and that means that whenever theres a downpour,it fills up faster.Its more like a hole in the ground that easily fills with water.They must find ways of directing the water into the ocean of just do something to stop this,”said Sharif.

The victims are appealing for food,bedding and medical aid

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