East Africa's periodic drought costs the region between five and eight per cent of its gross domestic product, a recent conference in Kigali for African finance and environment ministers heard last week.

According to the conference, the more the droughts and floods become frequent, the more they have a direct long term fiscal liability on the East African Community, with a toll of more than two per cent GDP per annum.

On average, Kenya experiences flooding that costs 5.5 per cent of its GDP every seven years, and eight per cent

"Despite high economic growth in some countries, disasters are continuing to affect the continent's ability to build wealth for its people," Margareta Wahlström, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), said.

"We often looked at disasters as events that happen, then we go back to normal life... this is no longer

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Period covered by this Operations Update No 5: 1 January to 30 June 2008

Appeal target: CHF 9.65 million (USD 7.97 million or EUR 5.88 million)

Appeal coverage: 105%

Appeal history:

- Preliminary Emergency Appeal launched on 17 November 2006 for CHF 9,848,235 (USD 7,864,934 or EUR 6,157,653) for 6 months to assist 300,000 people.

Kenya Red Cross and health teams have recovered four bodies from the crocodile-infested River Tana, following the tragedy that occurred on 25th September 2008, shortly before 6pm.

The four whose bodies have been recovered were pupils (aged 10-11 years) from Abagdera Primary School in Fafi District. They were among eight people who had gone to the river to fetch water,

Note: The last fact sheet was dated August 15, 2008.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

- On August 19, the Government of Kenya (GOK) released the results of the January to August long rains assessment, revising the number of people in need of emergency food assistance upward from 1.2 million to nearly 1.4 million, including 1,080,000 people in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) and 300,000(1) people affected by post-election

"At least 10,000 farmers need to be supplied with seeds and manure so that they can cultivate their farms and start growing crops," said District Commissioner Charles Monari.

Some 30,000 people affected by the floods now depend on relief food supplies. Many were displaced but have begun to return home as waters have subsided.

"At the moment we are very grateful

- Flooding in Tana River district affects 22,410; thousands of acres of crops lost.

- Kedong Camp in Naivasha set to close on 27 June as part of general plan for camp closures.

- Peste des Petits Ruminants threatens the food security of more than 9 million Kenyans.

- 2,600 returning IDP families receive cash assistance in areas of return.

The information contained in this report has been compiled by OCHA from information received from the field, from national and international humanitarian partners and from other official

Several houses and hundreds of hectares of farmland have been sub-merged in the River Tana Delta, near the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa after two weeks of heavy rains, raising fears of disease outbreak.

'We will ensure that we get humanitarian supplies like medecine to the affected' areas, said Medical Service Assistant Minister Danson Mungatana.

Flooding killed dozens of people and