More than 3,127 families in Tana River County have been displaced after weeks of flooding submerged villages, cut off access to essential services and forced residents into displacement camps.
The worst-hit areas are in Tarasaa Sub-county, where villages including Samicha, Odhole, Mwanja and Handaraku have been completely marooned. Similar devastation has been reported in Tana Delta Sub-county, where rising waters have destroyed homes and wiped out livelihoods.
The floods, which have persisted for about a month, have severely disrupted education and healthcare services. Several schools and health facilities have been submerged and are no longer operational, forcing residents to seek refuge on higher ground, including in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
Access to affected villages remains a major challenge, with key road networks rendered impassable. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has been using boats to reach stranded communities and deliver humanitarian assistance.
In Samicha village, which borders Odhole, access has been completely cut off. Residents have relocated to the Marafa IDP camp, while the local Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre remains closed due to a lack of learners.
In Odhole, nearly half the population has moved to displacement camps, with more than 85 per cent of school-going children affected after accompanying their families to safer areas.
KRCS officials said they have distributed non-food relief items but noted that affected households urgently require food assistance and medical support.
According to Kenya Red Cross Society Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Anthony Muchiri, 3,127 families have been displaced and are currently sheltering in various IDP camps across the affected sub-counties.
He said 17 health facilities have become inaccessible, while several schools remain closed.
Muchiri added that “In coordination with the county government and other partners, the agency has supported about 2,700 households with emergency shelter materials and has also provided water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies.”
He further noted that 71 latrines have been constructed in collaboration with the water department, with response efforts ongoing since the floods began on 17 April.
In Konemasa Location, Tarasaa Sub-county, Chief Issa Komoro said Samicha village comprises 103 households, while Odhole has about 300 households.
He added that Samicha is fully submerged, with residents relocated to Marafa IDP camp, which is now hosting more than 500 households.
Komoro appealed for additional humanitarian assistance, particularly food relief, noting that many families had lost everything.
At Kijo Farm IDP camp in Tana Delta Sub-county, camp headman Omar Maro Diwayu said 113 households had been displaced. While they had received non-food assistance from KRCS, they were still facing acute food shortages.
He said crops were destroyed just as they reached maturity, leaving many families without a source of income or food.
Flood victims echoed similar concerns. Idi Jarso Wario from Handaraku said access routes, grazing fields and homes remain submerged, making normal life impossible.
Another resident, Husna Omar, said families were struggling with shortages of food, shelter and clean water.
Salim Ali of Bula Rahma, who is currently staying at Kijo Farm camp, said aid had reached the camp, but food shortages remained a major challenge.
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