Kenya: Floods - Sep 2009

MAU NAROK, 28 October 2010 (IRIN) - Wheat stem rust, Ug99, continues to threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers in Kenya's Rift Valley region as controlling it pushes up production costs.

First identified in Uganda in 1998 and reported in 1999, hence the name, the fungus Ug99 was noted in some Kenyan wheat varieties in 2001; by 2003, all Kenyan varieties had been identified as susceptible.

"We have received a lot of reports from farmers this season especially complaining that despite spraying their crop it has been affected by the rust," Hillary Kiprotich Ngeno, …

• Kenya prepares to address urban disasters

  - A mothers quest for a decent meal and life

  - Untold stories from life in Kenya slums

  - Urban sector dynamics within the new constitutional dispensation

In brief

Programme purpose: To provide assistance to vulnerable communities at the same time strengthened capacities to effectively and efficiently deliver quality services as well as actively promoting respect for diversity and human dignity, while reducing intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion in their programming.

In 2009, the Red Cross Societies of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda responded to diverse humanitarian challenges, party supported by local and international support in cash and kind towards the 2009-2010 plan.

This report covers the period 01 January 2009 to 31 December 2009

In brief

Programme purpose: To enhance capacities of the 141 National Societies (NS) in East Africa region in responding to the humanitarian challenges.

- Disaster Management (DM) programme: To build well-prepared, stronger and more efficient NS able to predict, prevent and reduce risks and respond to emergencies, mitigate their impact as well as cope with their consequences in an appropriate manner.

- Health and Social Services (HSS) programme: To build and strengthen capacities of the NS in responding to public …

This report covers the period 01 January to 31 December 2009.

In brief

Programme purpose: To increase the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) capacity to assist national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters through the provision of timely and adequate financial support for disaster response from the DREF.

Programme Summary:

The DREF made a total of 108 allocations in 2009 to support National Society response to 96 different disasters, disbursing a total of 17,469,048 Swiss …

The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies.

Finding durable solutions to Urban Vulnerability issues in Kenya

As humanitarian and disaster management actors in Kenya prepared to reduce the humanitarian impact of an impending El Nino - a change in the atmosphere and ocean of the tropical Pacific region that produces heavy rains leading to floods,- in S e p t emb e r 2009, it became clear that attention was focused mostly in the rural areas with minimal attention to p o t e n t i a l impact in urban informal settlements.

In October 2009 alone, two weeks of heavy rains unleashed significant emergencies in urban areas in Kenya.

Key Messages

Cereal prices are still above average levels and hence deteriorating food access for low-income households.

The country suffers from internal tribal conflicts and natural hazards such as drought and floods.

There is consensus among agencies that the country is facing a serious problem of food insecurity with 3.8 million people in need of food assistance.

The government is implementing trade policy and consumer oriented measures to support people during the hunger season.

Children make up around one-third of the world's population. Yet a group of young journalists attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen believe their voices are still unheard. While youth delegations have been vocal on the streets and in the conference centre in Copenhagen, the voice of under 18-year-olds has been largely absent.

On the first day of the Copenhagen meeting, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer began his opening address by quoting a six-year-old boy speaking about the tragic loss of his parents after a devastating cyclone in Burma.

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)

Introduction

In its First Assessment Report in 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that the gravest effects of climate change may be those on human mobility. Over the last year, some progress has been made within both the academic and the humanitarian policy community in seeking answers to some basic questions arising from this issue, such as how and where people are displaced, who and how many are displaced, and how (if at all) they are protected.

President Mwai Kibaki has urged the Red Cross Movement to continue collaborating with Governments in countries of operation in addressing internal and international conflicts and other humanitarian factors that threaten peace.

President Kibaki was officially opening the 17th Session of the General Assembly and Council of delegates of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent at UN Headquarters at Gigiri, Nairobi.

The Head of State noted with regret that drought, floods, mudslides, and other disasters occurring in Africa coupled with the global economic meltdown …

HIGHLIGHTS

- Harmonised draft constitution released for public scrutiny

- Some Mau settlers begin to vacate the forest

- Drought conditions continue to affect Kenya, with minimum improvements expected to food security by end of December

- Flood affected families return to their homes

- Cattle rustling incidents leave 11 dead in Isiolo

- Cholera affects 144 refugees and 44 locals in Kakuma

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 …

General Context

Pandemic A (H1N1): Twenty nine (29) countries are now affected in our Region with a total case load of 14,950 and 103 deaths as of 16th November 2009 but the overall decline in incidence continues. Other humanitarian concerns include political crises in Guinea and Niger, disease outbreaks, the complex emergencies in central African countries and the food crises in the horn of Africa.

Situation in Countries

Acute crises

CAR: Small respite this week on the security situation, no violence reported.

LAMU, 12 November 2009 (IRIN) - Eight people have died on the Kenyan island of Lamu and others have been hospitalized following a suspected outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), an official said.

The spread of AWD could be attributed to recent floods in the area which have seen people displaced, said Lamu District Medical Officer Mitwani Bijuma.

The most affected areas were Langoni, Mkomani, Kandahar and Kijitoni.

Lamu principal chief Jamal Mzee Fangupi told IRIN street food vendors and social gatherings had been banned, and hygiene awareness programmes were in place, to curb …

General Context

Pandemic A (H1N1): Twenty nine (29) countries are now affected in our Region with a total case load of 14,868 and 103 deaths as of 09th November 2009 but the overall decline in incidence continues. Other humanitarian concerns include political crises in Guinea and Niger, disease outbreaks, the complex emergencies in central African countries and the food crises in the horn of Africa.

Situation in Countries

Acute crises

CAR: Ongoing violence in the South-east due to the LRA rebels activities.

Contexte général

Pandémie A (H1N1): Vingt et neuf (29) pays sont actuellement touchés dans notre Région avec un total de cas s'élevant à 14 868 et 103 décès au 9 novembre 2009 mais la baisse globale de l'incidence continue.

Heavy rains being experienced in most parts of the country has triggered flooding and landslides which have resulted in loss of human and livestock lives, displacement of households, and destruction of houses and farmlands. The floods have also had negatively impacted on water and sanitation and health of affected population since the households are exposed to contaminated water, lack basic sanitation facilities and are congested in camps. So far, 7 deaths have been reported and 1,100 HH are displaced and are in camps.

In Tana River, some parts of Tarasaa Division have been cut off.