Communities in Mororo, Bakuyu, Ziwani, Deri and Mathengeni villages along the River Tana in Garissa and Tana River counties have received a three-day training on disaster risk reduction and management and are asked to move to higher ground in preparations for the El Niño rains during the October, November and December period.
The training, conducted by the Helping Hand for Relief and Development non-governmental organisation, touched on evacuation, hazard mapping and risk identification in the communities, communication structures and incident command centres in the villages, and the development of community disaster management plans, among other topics.
At least 700 people in the mapped communities are expected to move to higher grounds before the onset of the rains.
Speaking during a public forum in Deri village, Head of programmes at the Helping Hand organisation Yussuf Ibrahim said that the training would help the communities to prepare early and respond well to disasters, thus minimising casualties and loss of property to floods.
“We are here to sensitise the communities and prepare them for the floods that have been projected by the Kenya Meteorological Department and the World Meteorological Organization as a result of the forthcoming El Niño. We want to capacity build and prepare them using their own locally available resources,” Ibrahim said.
“If you look at the history, from 1997 to 2024 these communities have been evacuated several times from this area. We have done hazard mapping in this area, which is one of the most affected in Tana River County. This training is going to help them prepare well for the upcoming floods, and we look forward to saving more lives and property,” he added.
Ibrahim further noted that the organisation was going to provide nonfood items, relief food, tents and cooking utensils, among other things, for the communities who are moving to other grounds, and at the same time called for concerted efforts from both the national and county governments, NGOs and well-wishers to mobilise resources and create a permanent solution for the communities.
“These communities are affected every year, and we appeal to all other development partners and the government to relocate this community from here to a permanent place where they will never face challenges of flooding again,” he said.
Zahara Asha Abdalla, a Deri resident, said that the past floods had been harsh to them because of late action, noting that with the training on early warning action, communities will now be able to identify risk factors and take action early before disasters hit.
“For a long time, we have been suffering due to floods, especially women, children, the senior citizens and the people with disabilities. Sometimes, we delay moving to higher places until the floodwaters catch up with us,” Zahara said.
“However, now we have been trained and informed on the importance of preparing early before floods start. We have also come to the villages to inform our fellow village mates on the early disaster preparedness so that we all avoid being caught by floods,” she added.
On his part, the Mororo location chief, Abdalla Ali Jillo, urged the residents to obey the early warning messages from various government agencies so that they could prevent loss of life or property.
He also vowed to take action against those who would defy the orders to move to higher grounds.
By Erick Kyalo
