Kenya: Heavy Rains and Floods Impact and Response (as of 20 December 2023)

OVERVIEW

Heavy rains and flooding continued to ravage parts of Central, Coastal, Southeastern, Northwestern, Western, and Northeastern Kenya, resulting in the deaths of at least 174 people since October, according to authorities. As of 18 December 2023, authorities reported that more than half a million people have been displaced due to flooding and heavy rains, while UNHCR reported that over 30,000 refugees have also been affected. Approximately 90 per cent of those impacted by the flooding reside in Mandera, Garissa, Tana River, Wajir, Isiolo, and Meru counties. Many of those affected have temporarily relocated to displacement sites after the Tana River and other seasonal rivers overflowed their banks. The number of people living in displacement sites remains dynamic as the situation continues to evolve. There are at least 180 makeshift displacement camps, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society, with 61 in Tana River County alone, while some people in Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir counties have started to return to their homes as the water levels have receded. There have been reports of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea in flood-affected areas with new cases of cholera reported in Tana River County in December. While needs remain, 463,000 people have been reached with some form of humanitarian assistance.