Alert
Kenya / Somalia - 1/2006
Flooding in Daddab, Kenya, and Gedo region, Southern Somalia
Geneva, 23 November 2006
Torrential rains have continued to pound southern Somalia and northeastern and coastal parts of Kenya, exacerbating devastating floods. In the northeastern region of Kenya heavy rains have caused flash floods in Mandera, Marsabit, Moyale and Garissa districts. The floods are especially affecting the refugee camps at Daddab, which are hosting Somali refugees.
In Daddab refugee camps 150,000 people have been directly affected and 2 people killed, with severe damage to sanitation facilities and refugee houses. While in Gedo region in Somalia it has been reported that floods have swept away people and livestock and razed farmlands in all districts of Gedo affecting 15,529 households.
ACT International members based in Kenya are currently scaling up a response and are planning to prepare a joint ACT appeal to respond to the flood victims in both Somalia and Kenya. On 22 November, NCA, Christian Aid and the Anglican Church staff members carried out an assessment in the Dadaab region to look at the situation after the flooding in the refugee camps in Daddab, Northeastern Kenya. The team is expected back in Nairobi on Monday 27 November, to begin preparing the appeal based on their findings and recommendations.
Regarding Somalia, NCA is currently preparing an appeal to respond to the flood affected communities in Gedo, since NCA is the only humanitarian organisation stationed in that region. Given the extent of the damage, NCA has already submitted one proposal for the northern part of Gedo to OCHA, and is preparing a separate proposal for the southern part of Gedo to ACT.
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).
(ends)
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
