ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN)
Torrential rains continue to wreak havoc across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, with devastating impacts on food security, infrastructure, and vulnerable populations.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens: AHN Urges Urgent, Collective Action as ASAL Floods Escalate
As flooding intensifies in northern and coastal ASAL counties, AHN and its members mobilize to support affected communities while calling for stronger coordination, rapid humanitarian assistance, and resilient recovery solutions.
Overview
Kenya is experiencing one of the most severe climate-induced emergencies in recent years. The convergence of the El Niño phenomenon and a strong Indian Ocean Dipole has resulted in above-average rainfall, particularly affecting the northern and coastal ASAL counties—Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, Marsabit, and Tana River. Forecasts by IGAD and Kenya Meteorological Department indicate this pattern will persist into early 2024, posing catastrophic risks for already vulnerable communities.
Escalating Impacts
The floods are compounding the effects of prolonged droughts that left over 4.4 million people food insecure. Massive displacement, livestock deaths, destruction of farms, washed-out roads, and waterborne diseases such as cholera are widespread. Vulnerable populations—children, the elderly, PWDs, and women—are bearing the brunt of this crisis. In particular, reports of increased gender-based violence are deeply concerning.
County-Level Assessments and Official Responses
From Mandera to Wajir and Garissa, county leaders and national agencies have declared disasters, issued public warnings, and conducted aerial assessments. TARDA has highlighted dangerously rising water levels in rivers Tana and Athi, threatening low-lying settlements across multiple counties.
Sectoral Impacts
Agriculture & Food Security: Crops along rivers Tana, Daawa, and Ewaso Nyiro have been destroyed. Food systems in Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, and Isiolo are collapsing.
Local Economies: Markets are flooded, roads impassable, and basic goods increasingly scarce—pushing inflation and food insecurity further.
Disaster Management: Urban and rural infrastructure is overwhelmed. Boreholes, latrines, and water systems are submerged or contaminated.
Environment: Flood-induced soil erosion and land degradation threaten long-term recovery.
Health: Poor sanitation, displacement, and stagnant water have fueled disease outbreaks and heightened nutritional risks.
Transport: Damaged infrastructure and reduced visibility have led to road accidents and hindered emergency response.
AHN Response and Humanitarian Actions
AHN and its member organizations are actively responding:
Over 45,000 households displaced with 95,800 affected (ECHO, KRCS).
ALDEF and PGI, funded by Oxfam/GFFO, are providing multipurpose cash assistance to 1,478 households in Tana River and Garissa.
Hygiene promotion, WASH kits, dignity kits, mosquito nets, water treatment tabs, and non-food items have reached thousands in Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera.
Temporary piped water systems installed in IDP camps.
GBV awareness and referral services are being integrated into the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
Advocacy and Call to Action
AHN calls on national and county governments, humanitarian agencies, and donors to:
Preserve Lives and Livelihoods: Prioritize evacuation, food, shelter, and medical support.
Scale Up Emergency Assistance: Provide multipurpose cash transfers, NFIs, WASH infrastructure, and shelter.
Coordinate Multi-Sectoral Responses: Ensure effective, people-centered responses across all sectors.
Support Community Recovery and Resilience: Fund locally-led early recovery and climate adaptation programs.
Disseminate Life-Saving Information: Use radio, health promoters, and PA systems for alerts and health education.
Activate Disaster Hubs: Establish 24/7 emergency coordination centers, river modeling units, and logistics support.
Strengthen Urban Planning: Enforce land-use planning and drainage infrastructure in flood-prone settlements.