North Eastern members of parliament are calling on the government to categorize the El Nino rains, alongside the resulting floods which have impacted over 2 million people, as a national disaster.
According to the leaders, the relentless downpours have caused widespread destruction to infrastructure, led to food shortages, and forced communities to relocate.
Farah Maalim, the Member of Parliament for Dadaab, emphasized the urgent need for a unified response from both national and international bodies to address the extensive displacement caused by the floods.
“The government cannot overlook the suffering of its people. This is the most severe crisis we have witnessed, and the national government alone cannot handle it,” Maalim asserted.
Adan Keynan, representing Eldas, highlighted that only the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and UN agencies currently possess the necessary resources to provide aid to the affected areas, given the current circumstances.
Keynan underscored the gravity of the flood crisis, revealing that it has isolated major towns and villages, severing Wajir, Tana River, Marsabit, and Mandera counties from crucial humanitarian assistance.
“Compounding the situation, nearly all airstrips in the region, with the exception of Wajir Airport, are inoperative and have ceased operations,” he added.
Abdullahi Bashir, the MP for Mandera North, accused the government of minimizing the humanitarian crisis, further exacerbated by the deteriorating state of infrastructure.
Bashir specifically directed blame at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is overseeing efforts to address the emergency disaster response to the El-Nino rains.
“We implore the UN agencies to intervene, as we cannot stand by while our people suffer without government action,” asserted Bashir.
“The Deputy President should visit the Northern region to witness the severity of the situation,” he added.
