Resilience Amidst Desolation: Life After Kenya’s 2024 Floods

The 2024 floods in Kenya’s Mathare settlement caused devastating devastation, displacing over 7,000 individuals and claiming numerous lives. Survivors face challenges in recovery, with women and children disproportionately affected. The government’s measures and community efforts emphasize the need for sustainable solutions to mitigate future risks and foster resilience among these vulnerable populations.

In the aftermath of Kenya’s devastating floods in 2024, the informal settlement of Mathare has experienced profound destruction. The torrential rains between March and May caused significant loss of life and property, with Save the Children estimating over 7,000 displaced individuals. Residents struggling to recover from this tragedy continue to deal with the damage inflicted upon their community.

Doreen Achieng, a mother of four, recalls the night her home was flooded, rising to nearly three meters. “We were stuck in the water, but the men came to our rescue,” she shares. Unfortunately, her previous makeshift house was lost, along with her livelihood as a food vendor, significantly impacting her ability to support her children’s education.

The floods resulted in approximately 294 fatalities and displaced 55,000 households in Kenya, according to a Kenya Red Cross report. Informal settlements like Mathare were disproportionately affected, highlighting the vulnerability of low-income communities to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, such as the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.

During relief efforts, Edward Okoth shared the precarious conditions of temporary shelters established in local schools, community halls, and churches, where food shortages caused severe distress. The widening impact of climate change is causing increased displacement across the East and Horn of Africa, with numbers rising to over 20 million vulnerable individuals by September 2024.

Women and children have suffered disproportionately from the floods. Reports from Unicef and Save the Children have indicated alarming levels of neglect and disruption in education among children in the affected areas. Save the Children has initiated mental health support and resources for hundreds of children while noting an increase in child labor as families struggle to survive.

As residents of Mathare face forced relocations due to government measures addressing flood risks, many have found themselves without a place to go. Okoth articulated the distress of losing homes again post-flood when they were bulldozed, leaving the community without sanitation facilities, and leading to detrimental health practices emerging in place of proper waste disposal.

In a ray of hope, survivors are cultivating vegetable gardens where their homes once stood, enhancing their nutrition and income. The government’s ClimateWorX initiative promises daily payments and aims to expand employment opportunities, addressing riverbank rehabilitation and ecological employment for youth in the affected areas.

Local leaders stress the importance of long-term strategies to address infrastructure and vulnerability, emphasizing community engagement in urban development. Easter Okech expressed frustration over the government’s lack of preparedness for such disasters, highlighting the need for adequate planning and budget allocation to prevent future calamities.

The aftermath of the 2024 floods in Kenya has revealed the vulnerability of communities like Mathare, facing significant losses and challenges in recovery. The enduring consequences of these floods highlight the pressing need for effective policies and sustainable support to address infrastructure, sanitation, and education. With adequate assistance and community involvement, residents aspire to build resilience against future climatic events.

Original Source: dialogue.earth