UN puts flood death toll in Kenya at 60

At least 60 people have died due to floods from heavy rains that have pounded large parts of Kenya in the past several weeks, a United Nations agency has said.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 60 people have died and an estimated 136,025 people (27,205 households) displaced due to flooding in the country as of 19 November 2023.

OCHA singled out the counties of Garissa, Mandera and Wajir as the areas most affected by the floods.

According to the agency, humanitarian partners are working with the Government to respond to the floods and have so far reached some 950,000 people with food assistance in affected counties.

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"The third and fourth weeks of October marked the beginning of the heavy rains (the peak of which is expected from October – December as the El Niño and Positive Indian Ocean Dipole events progress in the region). This has been characterized by heavy storms that caused flooding, particularly along the Coastal strip, in some areas of the Central Highlands," Ocha said in a statement.

"Rainfall has intensified in the Southeast lowlands, several areas of Northwest and Northeastern Kenya spreading to Nairobi and the western regions of the country, in the first two weeks of November."

OCHA said an initial needs assessment in the most affected areas has been undertaken by humanitarian partners which have guided response for the displaced and management of risks related to disease outbreaks as well as bolstering ongoing efforts to support food security and nutrition.