Solid response to Kenyan floods overshadowed by financial crunch

15 January 2010 [MediaGlobal]: The El Niño weather pattern is partly responsible for Kenya’s heavy rains this year, creating flooding that has left at least 30,000 Kenyans seeking immediate assistance – including hundreds of families in the greater Nairobi area – and has killed more than 20 individuals. Beatrice Teya, Head of the UNDP-Kenya Disaster Risk Reduction Unit explained that the flooding has become endemic to Kenya and the larger Horn of Africa, and the new intensity and variation in distribution of rainfall may be linked to climate change. Some areas in East Africa, which previously suffered from reoccurring droughts, are being hit more regularly by ongoing flooding, particularly the northern Rift Valley and districts near rivers. Teya described the effects of the flooding to MediaGlobal, saying that though “assessments are still ongoing, unconfirmed reports indicate that schools and health centers have been marooned, roads are cut off, irrigation canals have been swept away, some houses and crops have been destroyed, and sanitation issues [are on the rise] since toilets have been washed away.” Teya said that although there were still some gaps in the overall response, the Kenyan government and international humanitarian groups, based on experiences from past floods, were able to respond quickly and adequately to the short-term concerns such as the distribution of food, health kits, and water purification supplies. However, the crisis seems to be taking political and financial backing away from more long-standing problems. Previous efforts by Kenyan lawmakers to balance this year’s budget in the wake of the recent global economic crisis have been further disrupted. Money for a youth employment program has already been redirected to the humanitarian response, as well funds from other state programs such as stimulus packages and public education subsidies. Even with these moves, a considerable budget gap is still expected, leaving the government scrambling to find more money for resettling the recently displaced, repairing infrastructure, and other relief activities. The government will therefore continue to try cutting spending in other domestic sectors for its disaster relief. The current rains are expected to continue until mid-January, and while the worst is likely over, much aid and reconstruction remains. Henoch Derbew.