Over 700 Families Affected By Floods In Isiolo

Approximately 763 families that were displaced by floods in Merti Sub-County, Isiolo County, last week are in dire need of food and non-food assistance after their property was destroyed when River Ewaso-Nyiro burst its banks.

The Coordinator for the Kenya Red Cross Society in the County Mr. Gregory Machira confirmed that Merti Town was hard hit by the flood effects with 570 families left homeless.

Speaking during the County Steering Group (CSG) meeting held in Isiolo Town, Machira said that most of the families were currently housed by relatives while others are camping at local schools.

He added that Sericho was landlocked after the Ewaso Nyiro River changed its course and 102 families were displaced while 91 others were affected at Ngaremara trading centre.

Machira said that seven schools from Merti Sub-County were badly affected by the floods and pupils were using makeshift toilets to relieve themselves.

The KRCS coordinator said the internally displaced people were in need of food and any other for
m of assistance to put up homes at higher grounds to avoid the same tragedy from recurring in future.

He appealed to development actors to chip in since the local residents had not yet recovered from the previous drought, and now the floods occasioned by heavy rains being experienced upstream in the neighbouring counties has hit them hard.

The CSG meeting which was chaired by the Director of Administration in the Governor’s office Mr. Bitacha Sora approved the Catholic Relief Services’ plan to spend Sh26 million to address the problem of land degradation in Oldonyiro Ward.

The Project County Coordinator Mr. Robert Muriithi said the project whose theme is ‘Urejesho Rotuba wa Ardhi Yetu’ was meant to reduce the rapid rate of desertification and improve vegetation in the County.

Muriithi added that Acacia trees would improve the livelihood of the area people once they were sensitized on how to tap Gum Arabica and Resins from the trees and sell the two products hence reducing poverty and insecurity among them
.

The CRS coordinator further said the project would also increase the pasture cover and increase income for the youth hence free them from the criminal activities of cattle rustling.

Political leaders led by Women Representative Mumina Bonaya called for quick interventions from state and the non-state actors so that the seven schools in Merti Sub County could be rehabilitated and the pupils resume learning as soon as possible.

Education stakeholders including teachers, school sponsors, political leaders, the National and County Governments officials held a meeting in Merti town early this week to discuss how to tackle the infrastructural challenges facing the schools before re-opening.

Among the strategies they put in place included having some schools temporarily merged so that learners do not miss lessons for a long time.

Source: Kenya News Agency