In a unified effort, UNICEF alongside the Ministry of Health has today visited an IDP camp at Masinde Muliro Grounds in Mathare, Nairobi.
Led by PS Public Health Mary Muthoni and UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli, the officials interacted with some of the 179 households camping at the grounds.
Also present were UNICEF Country Representative Shaheen Nilofar, British High Commissioner Ambassador Neil Wigan and FCDO Deputy Director Eduarda Mendonca.
The two agencies have been actively involved in responding to the emergency caused by flooding.
They provided them with safe water, health promotion services, cash transfers, family tracing and sanitation facilities and other services for those in the camp.
They also distributed soaps, dignity kits and other home-use items.
In a statement, MoH said the focus remains on ensuring essential services such as health, nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and other necessities reach marginalised communities affected by the floods.
UNICEF noted that Nairobi is the most impacted county by the floods, with a total of 256,890 people affected and 21,678 people displaced.
This is as per the NDOC report of May 8, 2024.
It stated that the WASH sector has activated weekly coordination meetings at the national and county levels to ensure effective coordination.
UNICEF added that the WASH Sector Emergency Response Plan has been developed with an estimated sector budget of about USD 6.3 million.
"Currently only USD 1.25 million (approximately Sh822,150,000) has been mobilised," it added.
The WASH Sector response has reached a total of 116,320 flood-affected communities with the distribution of essential lifesaving WASH supplies including Jerry cans, buckets, soap, and household water treatment chemicals. •
UNICEF has also ensured that there is provision of water supply to the affected and displaced communities through the provision of water storage tanks and support for water trucking by partners.
It added that it is scaling up hygiene promotion and cholera prevention activities for the affected and displaced communities.
The UN agency stated that 62 health facilities have been affected in 11 counties, including 12 health facilities in Garissa and nine in Tana River.
This is where either flooded or road cut-offs have affected health and nutrition service delivery and access.
"Nutrition surveillance is ongoing in affected counties, involving assessment of children below five years," it said.
UNICEF as the nutrition cluster sector lead, is supporting the government and partners in scaling up nutrition response activities including, integrated health and nutrition outreaches to improve access.
Pre-positioning of nutrition supplies, including 4,200 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for treatment of 4,200 severely malnourished children in nine counties.
There is also the distribution of an additional 2,750 cartons of RUTF is ongoing through Kenya Red Cross Society in 24 hubs spread across nine counties (Marsabit, Turkana, Mandera, Garissa, Samburu, West Pokot, Tana River, Wajir and Baringo) which should cover 2,750 SAM children.