We desire peace in Kenya. Flood Emergency
Support families affected by the floods and the resilience of thousands of impacted farmers
Since April 2024, heavy rainfall has caused deadly floods in Kenya, affecting around 300,000 people and displacing 30,000 families who urgently now need assistance.
In October 2023, AVSI launched a fundraising campaign to support 45,000 farmers in Kenya. Now, the appeal is being relaunched to continue supporting their activities and standing by those who have lost everything.
The situation in Kenya today
Kenya has been experiencing heavy rains and floods since March, which has led to terrible situations, including flooding in different parts of the country. The situation worsened in mid-April with the collapse of the Old Kijabe dam in Nakuru County, killing 52 people. The Seven Forks' Dams along the Tana River have also overflowed, blocking transport routes such as the railway between Nairobi and the western part of Kenya.
The floods have caused mudslides and damaged infrastructure, including collapsed bridges and roads. Crops have been washed away, and thousands of people have had their livelihoods disrupted.
The Ministry of Education has postponed the opening of schools (scheduled for late April) until May 13, but it remains difficult to imagine students in some 2,000 damaged schools returning to class. Floods have compromised water infrastructure, resulting in the risk of epidemics. Already the first cases of cholera have been reported, and stagnant water has reignited malaria alerts in some areas.
The floods have disrupted daily life, leaving many families without basic necessities such as shelter, food, clean water, and electricity. This has exacerbated sanitation issues and the risk of waterborne diseases. The situation also poses a risk of food insecurity.
Flood Emergency in Kenya: steady heavy rains are expected throughout the country
The Kenya Meteorological Department predicts that 43 out of 47 counties will continue to receive heavy rainfall.
At the same time, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration has issued advisories highlighting areas at risk of flooding, including Western Kenya, low-lying areas in Narok, Kajiado, and Mombasa, and hilly areas prone to mudslides in Makueni, Nyeri, Muranga, and West Pokot Counties.
AVSI's intervention for the people affected by the floods in Nairobi and Garissa County
Some families who have benefited from AVSI activities in informal settlements of Nairobi (such as Kibera, Mathare, Kahawa Wendani, Githurai, and Korogocho slums) and Garissa County are currently displaced and seeking refuge in schools and community centers.
Support for Kenian farmers
Farmers face dire circumstances, with their crops being swept away, some rotting due to excess moisture, animal pastures being destroyed, and animal products not reaching the market. Furthermore, the extension services that farmers rely on are being hindered. For years,
AVSI in Kenya has been committed to promoting sustainable agricultural practices to create employment, improve products, make value chains more efficient, and combat climate change.
"Now more than ever, it is essential to stand by the farmers," says Romana Koech, AVSI's representative in Kenya, "we want to continue doing so. For years, we have been promoting the adoption of innovative Climate Smart Production measures to mitigate the effects of climate change: drought, locust invasion, and now floods are ongoing challenges for a sector that involves over 40% of the population."
Learn how your donation can provide immediate aid to those affected by floods in Kenya
AVSI Foundation has initiated distribution efforts, providing impacted communities with clothes, school supplies, food, and other essentials. The response is in the counties of Nairobi (Kibera slums, Mathare Slums), Kiambu (Kahawa Wendani and Githurai), Meru, Narok, Elgeiyo Marakwet, Nandi, Kajiado, Baringo, and Siaya.
However, the scale of the disaster necessitates continued support. Thanks to your donation, AVSI will:
In Nairobi
- support 500 families with various activities, including food supply, household rent for 2 months, household items, lighting solar equipment, personal protective equipment, and dignity kits for the girls;
- 500 school-going children with scholastic materials such as school uniforms, books, pens, and sanitary kits.
In Dadaab
- 250 host community members will be supported with 250 mosquito nets to ensure prevention against malaria;
- 500 scouts will receive training to increase their awareness and knowledge of emergency response procedures
In Bungoma, Nyeri, Machakos, Murang’a, Kiambu, Meru, and Embu Meru counties
- 45,000 farmers will increase their productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Thanks to your donation, we will be able to continue supporting them, especially by introducing production and cultivation techniques that enable them to cope with the effects of climate change (from forage conservation for livestock to agroforestry).