Flash floods claim 90 lives, displace over 100,000 in Kenya

The flash floods caused by heavy rains pounding several parts of Kenya have claimed the lives of 90 people and displaced more than 100,000 others, the East African country's humanitarian agency said on Friday. Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) Secretary General Abbas Gullet told journalists in Nairobi that the coastal and western regions of the country have been hardest hit by the heavy rains which started in March. "The government should consider declaring flooding a national disaster in some of the counties so as to increase the emergency," Gullet told journalists in Nairobi when the agency and Huawei signed an agreement, making Huawei the strategic communications partner for KRCS. Gullet added that more resources from the central government as well as other well wishers are urgently required. "We are also aware that the government has not set aside the funds and so money will have to be diverted from other sources," he said. The flash floods have caused widespread destruction of property and infrastructure. Activities such as farming and education are being affected. Kenya's coastal and western regions are among the worst hit. Last month, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) appealed to the international community for more than 3.78 million U.S. dollars in aid to landslide and flood victims. Gullet said the emergency appeal will enable the humanitarian agency to deliver assistance to more than 100,000 people.