Lamu County government and Kenya Red Cross vehicles ferrying relief food supplies and non-food items for over 300 families marooned in Lumsh village were stuck on the impassable roads following heavy rains and rising water levels.
Lamu Governor Issa Timammy who was leading the convoy together with Kenya Red Cross officials and Al Kheir Foundation were forced to abandon the vehicles and walk on foot and board boats to reach Lumsh village.
“We are here at Lumsh A village and we shall be heading to Chalaluma Village in Witu Ward our journey was necessitated by the flood disaster being witnessed in the Lumsh A is surrounded by water and accessing the safe area is difficult,” he said.
Timammy said after getting the distress call from Lumsh village they engaged the Kenya Red Cross and dispatched a disaster response team together with his county staff who found the situation was worsening.
“My appeal especially to our people living near Lakes or Rivers should move to higher grounds to avoid being swept away by the floods,” he said.
Kenya Red Cross Regional Manager in charge of Coast Region Hassan Musa said that on Thursday, when they first managed to access Lumsh village 32 houses had been submerged.
“Apart from what we have done or the partnership we have with the county there is also another humanitarian organization that had supported the families with food supplies, this shows that cooperation in such disasters is key to addressing the problem,” he said.
Dr Mubarak Bahjaj CEC Health Lamu County said they were a team of six medical officials including those of Public health to help the victims in treatment and ensure there is no outbreak of diseases.
“We found children with Pneumonia we treated them we visited 12 houses which have elderly and expectant mothers and mothers who delivered but have not been able to access health services as they are cut off,” he said.
So far, it is estimated that over 4000 residents of Lamu have been affected by the disaster and there are fears the numbers will rise as the area is still experiencing heavy rains.
Kenya Red Cross provided the victims with non-food items including mosquito nets, and blankets among other items while the Alkheir Foundation donated 7.5 tonnes of relief food for 600 households together with 600 buckets and water purification tablets and another consignment for 400 households that were donated to Tanariver county.
Dickson Wekesa
