- Two key roads, Gambal Lamu Road and Madogo Road were cut off
- Access to the cut-off villages was marred with blocked channels and thorny bushes
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
The Kenya Red Cross Society has deployed four speed-boats to distribute humanitarian aid to thousands of flood victims in Tanadelta, Tana River county.
More than 38,000 families were affected and more than 10,500 displaced.
The boats are distributing non-food items including blankets, tents, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, soap and water buckets to villages in Mwina location in Garsen North.
The relief aids are ferried by trucks to Maziwa village on the banks of Tana River, before being loaded onto the boats.
On Thursday, the team was in Sailoni and on Friday it visited families in Kulesa village.
Two key roads, Gambal Lamu Road and Madogo Road were cut off.
Access to the cut-off villages was marred with blocked channels and thorny bushes.
One of the boats carrying journalists lost direction after missing a turn.
Another boat carrying Red Cross volunteers was forced to spend the night at Wema village after it was unable to trace its way back after dusk.
Kenya Red Cross Coast regional programmes coordinatorMohamed Rajab said there is need to urgently deliver the relief items.
“Kenya Red Cross has distributed non-food items to 1,600 families and given relief food items to 3,000 families. So far, we have 88 camps in Tana River county and we are trying to do hygiene promotion," he said.
Mwina location chief Martha Wilfred appealed for more food and health services.
She said Benderani and Mikamini sublocations were completely cut off and cannot get essential services.
“It has been a month now since more than 1,500 households were displaced and and farms destroyed," Wilfred said.
She thanked the Kenya Red Cross Society for distributing relief items and food in the location.
Recently, a woman gave birth on the road due to lack of access to a health centre.
Mary Gabriel, a flood victim Kikomo camp and a disaster committee member, said the situation is worse and water levels are higher than the previous ones.
“We thank Kenya Red Cross and other organisations for helping us with tents, kitchen sets and other items but we are also appealing for health services to assist expectant mothers,” she said.
Hassan Mohamed, a resident of Mwina location lost his house and four cows to floods.
He had to relocate to Guba which is on higher grounds.
“We are appealing for water treatment products because the water we are drinking is not safe. We also need drugs and food,” Mohamed said.
Mohaka Gardale, a resident of Adadi village lost his house, chicken and goats.
“We lost everything, life has become very tough now," she said.
Farhia Rashid said she lost everything including her national identity card.
Joseph Babo, a flood victim from Sailoni village, said communication has been cut off.
He said all their crops were destroyed.
“Red cross is distributing non food items but we urgently need food. The government should also bring relief food as all the crops we planted were destroyed by floods.