The consequences of severe flooding in Kenya could last beyond the current heavy rains, with environmental damage raising the risks of contamination and disease.

“Many water sources are polluted, and the risk of epidemics spreading throughout the country is increasing,” said Camilla Schynoll, emergency relief coordinator for the German aid agency Welthungerhilfe. “It’s a race against time. The poorest and already vulnerable families in particular urgently need safe shelter and access to basic services such as clean water, food and health clinics.”

The floods are currently causing a fourth cholera outbreak, she said.

As of Wednesday, 257 people had died in Kenya during the rainy season storms alone, while the search continues for more than 70 missing persons.

Kenyan President William Ruto has declared Friday a national holiday to commemorate the victims of the floods.

In 2023, the El Niño weather phenomenon also triggered flooding and destroyed houses, roads, and agricultural land with heavy rainfall, particularly in regions usually characterised by drought.

“The destruction caused by the last floods has not yet been fully repaired and many people have not yet been able to completely rebuild their homes. And now the next tragedy is occurring, and there is no end to the rainfall in sight,” she said. 

“This time, the urban areas are badly affected, where many people already live in cramped conditions and in very poor conditions,” said Ms Schynoll about the extreme rains in the greater Nairobi area.

(dpa/NAN)