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This comes after heavy rains in the last one month resulted in 66 deaths and left more than 100,000 people homeless/FILE

Kenya

Safaricom foundation in Sh10m flood rescue

This comes after heavy rains in the last one month  resulted in 66 deaths and left more than 100,000 people homeless/FILE

This comes after heavy rains in the last one month resulted in 66 deaths and left more than 100,000 people homeless/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 3 – Safaricom Foundation has donated Sh10 million to fund rescue efforts for flood victims following a Sh300 million appeal by the Kenya Red Cross Society.

This comes after heavy rains in the last one month resulted in 66 deaths and left more than 100,000 people homeless while exposing hundreds of others to malaria, dengue fever and other flood related risks.

Speaking while making the presentation on Friday, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore said the money will cater for mobile medical clinics, buy seeds and other farm equipment for the nearly 100,000 people who have so far been displaced from their farms during the rainy season

“Our donation here today is meant to restore the dignity of our fellow citizens whose lives have been disrupted by the floods by allowing them to farm and rebuild their livelihoods once the flood waters have subsided,” Safaricom Chief Executive Officer , Bob Collymore said.

Statistics from the Kenya Red Cross show that the Coast, Western Kenya and North Eastern provinces are the most affected by the floods.

“Our immediate priority is to offer psycho-social support which includes moving people in flood prone areas to higher ground, reuniting families, provision of shelter, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, as well as enhancing general hygiene,” Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Abbas Gullet said.

Collymore commended the government’s prompt response to the floods by supporting evacuation efforts and providing food supplies to affected Kenyans.

He called on other organisations to support the on-going efforts by the Kenya Red Cross to implement long term measures which include the implementation and strengthening of early warning systems.

The rains which are expected to continue into June are a threat to the country’s food security following reports of flooding affecting nearly 14,000 acres of arable land in key food basket areas of Rift Valley, Western Kenya and Central. Other affected areas include; Upper and Lower Eastern, Coast and North Eastern Province.

Deputy President William Ruto had said earlier that the government has set aside Sh1.6 billion to mitigate the effects of floods and landslides following heavy rains across the country.

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The Deputy President said Sh500 million will be used to repair roads which have been destroyed, Sh100 million for provision of food and clothes to affected families while Sh1 billion has been set aside to take care of other emergencies.

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