The Kenya Red Cross Society wants the county and national governments to declare Tana River a disaster zone.
Speaking to the press at Gamba yesterday, secretary general Abbas Gullet said the area faces many tragedies such as bloody clashes and floods which displace residents and lead to loss of lives.
Gullet was speaking after visiting the displaced flood victims in Garsen. He said it is time the government allocated enough resources to the region to help the residents.
“The county and central governments should declare this area a disaster zone and help the locals to recover and set up proper shelters so that they can resume with their normal lives,’’ he said.
Gullet said the infrastructure in the Tana Delta has been completely damaged by the floods and requires resources for reconstruction. The Red Cross boss said the government come up with a permanent solution to the problems in Tana River and allocate sufficient resources for development instead of just giving relief food.
“The days for giving handouts to the victims are long gone. It is time for permanent solutions to the problems,’’ he said. Gullet said both pastoralists and farmers will require support to begin their livelihoods afresh including vaccination for their cattle and seeds to resume farming activities.
He said Kenya Red Cross had supplied two mobile water treatment plants with a capacity of pumping 50 cubic meters each so that the locals get clean drinking water.
Gullet said a team of medical officers from the society has been dispatched to provide medication to the victims. He said a group of locals are undergoing hygiene training to help prevent spread of diseases.
He was accompanied by UN humanitarian coordinator Gabriella Waaijman, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Gisela Holman, Red Cross governor Momamud Said, area deputy county commissioner Mike Kimoko and other officials.
Waaijman said her organisation is willing to support victims of disaster in the country. Kimoko said they are working on means to reach the victims who have been marooned. He said they have plenty of food to help the victims.