US-based Organization accepts call to mitigate Floods in Kenya
Nov 26, 2023
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Hundreds of families have been displaced, and their property destroyed in recent weeks following heavy El Nino rains that are pounding most parts of the country.
Roads have been rendered impassable, communication network cut and food and essential supplies such as water and medical unable to reach affected areas especially in North Eastern region, the Coast region, and Eastern region.
Residents in the Western and Nyanza region have also been affected by the overflowing of Rivers Nyando, Yala, and Nzoia, reported recently.
The heavy downpour has swept away livestock and destroyed crops in some parts of the country. Infrastructure such as roads and bridges have also been destroyed in some areas.
The Kenya Red Cross Society has indicated that about 90 people have lost their lives due to the flooding, with more cases expected.
The government has announced emergency response measures to reduce the impact of destruction, save lives and property, which includes delivery of supplies to areas that have been cut off by floods, provide medicine and water, and provision of alternative routes to the roads that have been washed away. An estimated 136,025 people have been displaced due to the flooding.
The government has also called on international development partners to work with it in reducing the severity of the situation.
A number of organisations, both local and international, have expressed willingness to work with the government to mitigate the situation.
The Healthcare Extension. Promotion & Training Organization (HEPTO), a US-based organization with offices in Nairobi that has worked on a number of emergencies in the country, says it is ready to join and help Kenyans affected by the situation.
” Not so long ago, we played a significant role donating foodstuffs and water to drought families in parts of Kenya, including the Eastern and Coast region. When challenges such as these come, we are called to action,” Hepto lead officer for Nairobi Florence Lintari said.
The organisation provides medical support, mainly treatment and supply of drugs to affected families owing to the fact that it is a health-inclined organisation.
” Our primary focus is on managing emerging and re-emerging diseases, chronic disease, mental health, surgical services, maternity, and nutrition but we go further to intervene in situation that prompt emergence of such diseases, that’s why we provide foodstuffs, water, and clothing as part of our mission,” Florence added.
Hepto has its headquarters in the United States, with East African offices in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Somaliland, where its involved in provision of healthcare through medical camps and supply of essentials such as food, water and clothes to communities.
” We have watched the suffering of our people in most parts of the country, and have heard the governments- both national and counties, I believe we will play our part in helping Kenyans that are affected,” Ms Lintari said.
Since opening office in Nairobi one year ago, the organisation has been involved in community programmes in Embu, Machakos, Kilifi, and Isiolo, where locals benefited from free medical attention and received food and water donations.
