KENYA: Hundreds of families displaced by flooding
Pastor Dale Morgan
*KENYA: Hundreds of families displaced by flooding*
15 May 2007 12:50:50 GMT
Source: IRIN
NAIROBI, 15 May 2007 (IRIN) - Hundreds of families have been displaced
by flooding in the city of Mombasa along the Kenyan coast after days of
heavy rain, a humanitarian official has said.
"One hundred and thirty families [an average family has six members]
have been affected by the flash floods," Anthony Mwangi, the public
relations manager of the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said on Tuesday.
At least two children were killed when the roof of the house they were
sleeping in collapsed due to the heavy rain, he said. Another person was
injured.
Most of the displaced are living with relatives and friends, he said,
after their houses were destroyed. The roofs of at least 34 houses were
blown off in the Jomvu and Bomani areas of Likoni.
Moreover, there is a threat of waterborne diseases as heavy rains
continue, raising water levels substantially in other areas of the city
such as Bombolulu and Mishomoroni, he said.
Some latrines have collapsed due to the rains and there is a need to
ensure the people have access to safe drinking water, he said.
"Mombasa has just come out of a cholera outbreak; we are trying to
ensure that the health of the people is safeguarded," he said.
So far, the Red Cross is providing the affected families with non-food
items, comprising tarpaulins, kitchen sets, blankets and soap, he said.
Meanwhile, he said, KRCS volunteers were carrying out an assessment on
the ground to ascertain the full extent of the damage caused by the
flooding.
aw/mw