OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Kenya - Floods
13 May 2002


This report summarises preliminary information received from the UN OCHA
Office in Nairobi, Kenya.

Situation

1.  Due to unusual high temperatures over the Indian Ocean, heavy rains
have wreaked havoc across Eastern Africa for the last ten days, striking
particularly Kenya.  The floods are seen as the worst to hit the country
since 1998, when the El Nino phenomenon struck the area.

2.  According to media reports, floods and landslides in Kenya have killed
at least 53 persons and displaced more than 150,000 persons.

3.  Heavy rains around Mount Kenya (5199 m), caused two mudslides in
central Kenya (Eastern province) where 15 people died when mud overran
their homes on April 30 and May 4. Torrential rains in the western
districts of Migori, bordering Lake Victoria and Tanzania, made the Kuja
and Migori rivers to burst their banks, flooding many areas of the Nyanza
province. Nyando and Kisumu districts are the most devastated and
consequently needy areas.

                                        Provisional Figures
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 | Area     | District            | Casualties | Affected   |
 | Affected |                     |            | Population |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 | Nyanza   | Kisumu              |          - |     60,000 |
 | Province |                     |            |            |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Rachuonyo           |          - |      6,500 |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Nyando              |          - |     48,000 |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Migori:             |          2 |     35,000 |
 |          | - Kakelo-Kakoth     |            |            |
 |          | - Karapolo          |            |            |
 |          | - East Kanyor       |            |            |
 |          | - West Kanyor       |            |            |
 |          | - West Kanyaruanda  |            |            |
 |          | - Arieko            |            |            |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 | Central  | Muranga             |          4 |        300 |
 | Province |                     |            |            |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 | Western  | Busia               |          - |     12,000 |
 | Province |                     |            |            |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Kirinyaga           |          - |        200 |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Meru                |         11 |        300 |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 | Coast    | Ijara (Hulugho and  |          6 |          - |
 | Province | Sangaila divisions) |            |            |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|
 |          | Thika               |          - |          - |
 |----------+---------------------+------------+------------|



4.  Other districts near the Somali border or the capital Nairobi were
also adversely affected by heavy rains. More heavy rains are predicted as
the long seasonal rains are expected to run from April to June. One of the
major dams, on the Tana river is already at its maximum capacity.


National response

5.  The Kenyan Government is coping with the emergency situation, which is
currently within its capacity for response. The Government did not request
international assistance.

6.  Authorities have immediately activated the National Disaster Committee
as well as districts' Disaster Management Committees in most affected
areas (Migori, Meru). Chaired by the District Commissioner, they include
representatives of Ministries and NGOs working already there.

7.  Assessments are still underway. The National Disaster Operations
Centre dispatched a three-member team from the Office of the President
(OP) to Meru. On 11 May, a helicopter mission including OP, UNICEF, KRC,
AMREF (African Medical Research Foundation) was sent to Nyanza Province to
assess the extent of the floods. A team went to Ijara (Coast province) to
assess the health and sanitary situation, particularly the risk of
water-borne diseases.

8.  The Government has allocated food to all affected districts, in total
117MT of maize, 35MT of beans and 3,750 litres of cooking oil. The
Ministry of health provided some drugs and mosquito nets. The Kenya Red
Cross (KRC) provided 200 blankets and 80 tarpaulins. Local well wishers
provided some food, blankets and money cash. An account has been opened,
locally. To receive donations from various sources.

9.  On 10 May, the Kenya Red Cross launched an appeal for non-food items
for USD 988,000 (CHF 1,6 M) for 125.000 beneficiaries for three months.


Coordination

10.  The Office of the President (OP), through the National Disaster
Committee, chaired a meeting including ministries, UN and some NGOs to
coordinate operations. It has been decided that the National Disaster
Operations Centre (NDOC) will be the focal point for information, the
Government of Kenya the focal point for food distribution, UNICEF (health
sector) and AMREF, the focal point for health and KRC the focal point for
operations in the field due to their extended network of volunteers.

11.  World Vision (WV) was appointed as lead agency for coordination of
the response in close cooperation with KRC and CARE.


International response

12.  The United Nations Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) was activated on
10 May and is willing to provide support to the GoK and to the affected
populations.

13.  OXFAM-GB mobilised some USD 20,000 to help the health sector through
AMREF.

14.  OCHA sent a staff member to Nyanza Province to join the OP team and
assess the situation.


Needs

15.  There is particular need for drugs to treat waterborne diseases as
sanitation in the affected districts is poor (Water purification tablets,
Cholera kits, mosquito nets). Floodwaters have also covered wells in many
areas leading to a shortage of clean water. The Government is currently
covering food aid needs. Needs should be specified in the coming days and
will be communicated in a subsequent report.

16.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva
on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by
item.

17.  OCHA is in close contact with the United Nations OCHA Office in
Nairobi, Kenya and will revert with further information, as it becomes
available.

18.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr. Max Bonnel, direct Tel. +41 22 917 1457
  Ms. Cecilia Lonnerfors, direct Tel. +41-22-917 1311

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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