NAIROBI, Oct. 5 — Kenyan authorities have activated a national response plan ahead of incoming El Nino rains, placing search-and-rescue teams, evacuation centers, and emergency supplies on standby nationwide.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration said on Monday it has opened designated evacuation shelters and launched a standardized registration system to register and assist displaced families as well as coordinate emergency aid during the El Nino rains.
The ministry said a joint emergency force comprising the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, Coast Guard, Red Cross, and National Youth Service will carry out 24-hour search-and-rescue operations where needed.
“As we brace for the October-December above normal El Nino rains, government agencies are continuing with preparedness measures and the public is encouraged to closely follow updates on heavy rainfall, river and dam levels, flooding and accessibility of critical roads,” the ministry said in a statement issued in Nairobi.
The authorities urged particular attention to warnings regarding landslides, severe storms, and high ocean waves, noting that operational advisories and heightened alerts will be issued as weather or health risks evolve.
The East African nation has stepped up its El Nino preparedness by establishing a National Crisis Communication Center to handle early warnings and public updates.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration has also confirmed the activation of the National Contingency Plan to streamline emergency response across high-risk regions.
The ministry said it has deployed its Public Health Emergency Operations Center and Incident Management System to control disease outbreaks during the rains.
Alongside disease surveillance, authorities have secured therapeutic nutrition supplies and distributed water-treatment products to affected communities.
To protect food security and support vulnerable populations, the government has pre-positioned food stocks across 10 high-risk counties ahead of the heavy rains, the ministry added.(Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
