Kenya Red Cross has urged residents residing along the River Tana and other lowlands in Garissa County to move to higher grounds as rain season starts.The March long rain
season has started. In the past, residents have been marooned by the floods, causing
displacement and destruction of property.In other instances, human and livestock lives have
been lost, the most recent in April last year, when at least 15 drowned at Kona
Punda along the Garissa-Madogo stretch after the boat they were traveling in
capsized.Speaking at Garissa Primary School Playground after
holding a procession to mark 60 years of humanitarian action since Kenya Red inception, Hassan Musa, KRC North Eastern region head, urged communities living along the river to
take precautions to avoid displacements.“As we celebrate 60 years of service to humanity, I want
to take this opportunity to appeal to our people, especially those residing
along the river, to do the necessary and move to higher grounds,” he said.Samwel Nyandoro, a resident of Garissa, said, “We have been there before, and we all know what it
means to have floods. We don’t want to have any casualties in the event we have
floods, like has been the case in the past. Let people adhere to the guidelines
that have been provided and do what is required of them."Hassan, who was flanked by the Red Cross team, said that
as an organisation they are well prepared to handle any eventualities, disclosing
that they have already pre-positioned boats and tractors that will come in
handy during emergencies like floods.He called on residents to avail themselves and be equipped
with first aid training, which he noted helps in tackling emergencies if and
when they arise.“As we are all aware, this region has had its fair share of
emergencies ranging from floods to droughts and even insecurity, which we as an organisation have been responding to in real time. It will help a lot when we have
many people with first aid training since their skills will be very useful
during such times," he said.Staff and volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross participate in
a simulation exercise of an accident at the Garissa Primary Shool playground.
The procession, which started at the Tana River Bridge
and went through the streets of Garissa town, culminated at
Garissa Primary with a simulation exercise of an accident involving
bodaboda riders, where members of the public got the opportunity to see firsthand how the organisation responds to such emergencies.
Samwel Nyandoro is a resident of Garissa.
Staff and volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross participate in
a simulation exercise of an accident at the Garissa Primary Shool playground.
