Rising above the floodwaters in Tana River
Supporting families affected by floods
As the holiday season and new year festivities approach in December, a stark reality of destruction and displacement persists within the flood-affected communities living in Bandi village in Tana River County. This is the situation facing Jilo Gorogosi, a 16-year-old boy from the village that was hit by devastating floods in November 2023. Jilo is among thousands of people and families affected by the ongoing El Niño rains which have caused severe floods across parts of Kenya. In Jilo’s village, homesteads are completely submerged in water, livestock has drowned, farmland has been destroyed, roads are cut off, and families are displaced.
Jilo, who recently finished his primary school education, stares at his village from a cliff at the end of one of the roads that is now inaccessible. "My family and I used to live in that hut," he explains, standing from a safe distance, pointing at one of the submerged structures across the murky brown waters. "We had to leave our home in the middle of the night. We heard other families screaming that the waters from the nearby river had broken its banks."
Jilo, together with his mother and two siblings aged 8 and 4 years old, had to walk for one and a half hours in the night to seek refuge in the nearby higher grounds. "I was very worried for my siblings when we had to leave our home in the night. We cried as we walked in the dark, but mum calmed us down," says Jilo. "I was not sure where we were going, but I just followed my mum and prayed."
After what seemed like an endless journey in the dark, wading through water and debris, they were eventually rescued by local elders using a home-made boat. Jilo and his family were relieved, but they were still far from safety. He recalls some tense moments as the tiny boat rocked uncontrollably due to the weight of the excess passengers on board, all fearing for their lives. They were about 12 people, other families, on the vessel that was designed to carry a maximum of six. Despite the apparent hazards they had no choice but to carry on with the perilous and slow journey to the neighbouring Vumbe village, where they spent the next few days, waiting for the water to subside.
The days turned into a week with the water levels remaining dangerously high. Meanwhile, the displaced families endured harsh conditions as they struggled to find food and clean drinking water. They were eventually found by a team from the Kenya Red Cross Society and were relocated on foot to the nearby UNICEF supported Bandi camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Jilo’s family has been staying at the camp for the past three weeks now, along with other 234 households of IDPs.
“At the camp, we get some little food and drinking water, and at least my siblings, mum, and I are safe from the floodwaters,” says Jilo. “We also have doctors at the mobile health & nutrition outreach site coming to do checkups and give us medicine after every few days.”
The Government, UNICEF and partners such as the Kenya Red Cross Society are supporting affected families like Jilo’s, that have been temporarily settled at the Bandi IDP camp with essentials such as mosquito nets, tent shelter, jerricans, buckets, soap, water treatment chemicals, dry foodstuffs as well as medical and other care. This support is crucial as they await further assistance from the county and national governments.
Jilo says, “I am grateful for the support but still, it doesn't feel like home."
After facing this life-changing experience, Jilo is hopeful for about the future. He looks forward to when the water levels will drop, and he and his family will finally get to rebuild and continue with their normal lives.
"I am supposed to join Form One next year. I really worked hard in school to pass my national exams, but now I am not certain what the situation will be next year when it's time to join school," explains Jilo. "I have always wanted to be a pilot, but now I think I want to be a humanitarian worker after my experience with the floodwaters. I want to save people from similar future disasters.”
UNICEF is supporting the Government at national and county levels, working with the Kenya Red Cross Society and other partners to respond to the flood situation in affected areas across the country.
Assistance includes equipping outreach clinics with essential medicines, distribution of water, sanitation and hygiene products, treatment of severely malnourished children, raising awareness on potential violence and other harmful risks to children, provision of dignity kits to adolescent girls and boys, and provision of health education and related services. UNICEF is also preparing delivery of cash assistance to the most affected families.
Support for the response has been made possible through generous financial contributions of our development partners including, UKAid, USAID, EU Humanitarian aid, the Governments of Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Catalonia and UNICEF National Committees.
