Residents in search of food in Moyale after floods cut off villages

Women cross a flooded river in Laisamis Sub-County in Marsabit. Over the past four months in the Kenyan drylands, we have have seen a familiar cycle of drought, famine and floods followed by charity from fellow Kenyans. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Abdi said he had walked for 68 kilometres to Moyale in search of aid for his family.
  • He said that children had resulted to feeding on germinating seeds that had been planted.
  • Golbo MCA Sheikh Bashir had earlier called on various stakeholders to come to their aid.

Residents of seven villages in Marsabit have sent 43 representatives in search of food and non-food items in Moyale Town after floods washed away their property and impassable roads left them without any food supplies.

The villages include Dabel, Dirdima, Illadu, Qualaliwe, Funanyata, Qolob and Godhe.

Ahmed Abdi, an elder who spoke to the Nation, said that mothers and children are suffering in the villages since they cannot not walk the long distance in search of food.

Mr Abdi said he had walked for 68 kilometres to Moyale in search of aid for his family and also for others who could not travel.

"Floods washed away everything leaving some of the locals staying in nearby schools without anything, not even food," said Mr Abdi.

The elder also said the impassable road has made it hard for food supplies to reach them.

He added that they had called officials from the Kenya Red Cross Society and the county government but no help that had reached them yet.

"Our people are starving and that is why some of us had to trek all the way to see whether we can get any aid for our families back in the villages," said Mr Abdi.

Mr Abdi said that children had resulted to feeding on germinating seeds that had been planted.

"They are eating the seeds because of hunger. We are already having diarrhoea cases amongst our children, maybe as a result of eating dirt," said Mr Abdi.

The representatives camped outside the sub-county administrator’s office awaiting aid.

Golbo MCA Sheikh Bashir had earlier called on various stakeholders to come to their aid.

Mr Bashir told the Nation that the people living in the affected villages will be facing a shortage of food since the roads are impassable.

"Hunger will strike them if help does not reach them soon," said Mr Bashir.