Kenya
The Red Cross is helping people in Kenya affected by drought, floods and hunger.
Last updated: 12 September 2024
Across Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria, it's expected over 10 million children under the age of five will suffer with acute malnutrition this year. This means severe impact on a child's physical growth and psychological development. 3 million of these children will likely die without treatment.
The Kenya Red Cross has supported more than 365,000 people so far, but it's a race against the clock.
Kenya has continued to experience intermittent poor rains and prolonged dry spells as a result of climate change. PHOTO: British Red Cross
Kenya in numbers
- Over 4.4 million people are struggling to find enough food.
- 800,000 children are malnourished - 45% of child deaths are because of hunger.
- 41% of people in Kenya don’t have access to safe drinking water.
- Kenya is 147th on the Human Development Index.
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement response
The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) supported communities to act early ahead of peak of flooding - something that’s become more common due to the Indian Ocean Dipole and El Niño phenomena.
Since floods hit in October 2023, the KRCS have reached 133,314 people through food distribution, 55,302 people with water, sanitation and hygiene items, and helped at least 98,994 people with shelter-related items. They’ve also rescued 2,132 stranded people.
This is tandem with severe drought. Throughout the prolonged drought in Kenya, Kenyan Red Cross teams have been working on the ground in the worst affected areas throughout the recent droughts. Teams provided people in Kenya with:
- safe and clean water to 215,000 people (as well as restoring boreholes, constructing underground rainwater facilities)
- health support to 28,000 people through mobile health clinics
- livestock support, including grass seeds for fodder
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is also helping people in Kenya by giving cash grants to 122,000 people hit by the recent emergencies. Rather than provide food or other relief supplies, giving people money means that they can buy exactly what they need.
Thousands of people in Kenya have to walk long distances to reach a water supply, which may not be clean for drinking or washing. Our water aid project in Kenya is building wells to bring clean water to 11,000 people in 20 villages in Nakuruto in Taita Taveta County.
We have also reached over 3,000 households with information on how to keep the water clean and the importance of washing your hands to stay healthy. In 10 villages, we’ll be working with people to improve their sanitation and prevent contamination of the new water supplies.
Our work in Kenya in partnership with WWF
We are part of a project working to protect communities in Kenya from the effects of climate change. The project is led by WWF-Kenya and Kenya Red Cross and supported by WWF-UK and British Red Cross. We’re able to do this thanks to funds raised by players of the People's Postcode Lottery.
Our work in Lamu, Kenya uses nature-based solutions that repair and restore nature to help humans, biodiversity and our climate all at the same time. Nature-based solutions are crucial in building resilience to climate change.
Find out more about our collaboration with WWF-UK and the project in Kenya.
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