Attachments
OVERVIEW
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Kenya continues to face the effects of recurrent climate shocks and disease outbreaks, which generate widespread displacement and humanitarian needs. Notably, above-average October-to-December 2023 short rains—induced by the El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, both associated with above-average rainfall in the Horn of Africa—and associated floods across Kenya resulted in at least 174 deaths and the displacement of approximately 546,000 people between early October and mid-December 2023, according to the UN. Prior to the October-to- December rains, the region experienced five consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall between 2020 and 2022 that led to a severe drought and insufficient access to food and water, reducing populations’ ability to cope with subsequent shocks. Flood-displaced populations are in urgent need of emergency relief commodities and food, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance, according to the Government of Kenya Ministry of Health.
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Flooding contaminated WASH infrastructure and led to poor road conditions, limiting affected populations’ access to health facilities and increasing the risk of vector-borne and waterborne disease outbreaks, including exacerbating the cholera outbreak that began in October 2022. Health actors recorded approximately 115 cholera cases after flooding began in Kenya, bringing the cumulative total to more than 12,200 cholera cases and at least 205 related deaths in 2023 as of early December, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the UN reported. Furthermore, the flooding hindered relief actors’ ability to transport relief items to health centers and reach affected populations, according to IFRC.
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Despite the flood damage, including the destruction of approximately 18,400 acres of farmland, elevated rainfall after the prolonged drought increased agricultural labor opportunities and production activities, raising incomes to near-average levels, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) and IFRC report. The increased rainfall enhanced forage, pasture, and water resources, supporting livestock production and improving household access to water in areas previously impacted by drought, according to FEWS NET. The current favorable conditions are expected to persist until the start of the forecasted March-to-May long rains, which will likely support further improvements in livestock production and household access to food and income. However, possible La Niña conditions in mid-2024 may negatively affect upcoming long and short rains in Kenya in late 2024 through 2025, bringing the possibility of resumed drought conditions in many locations, according to FEWS NET.