Kenya floods displace hundreds as dry spell forecast

Hundreds of people have been displaced by floods in parts of the north Rift Valley region of Kenya even as the meteorological department forecasts drier conditions in the coming months.



"At least 400 families were displaced in parts of Kwanza in the north Rift," Titus Mung'ou, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) communications manager, told IRIN. "Most of the people were aware of the early warning signs and had relocated to market centres. Others are staying with relatives." Most of the displaced were affected after River Sabwani broke its banks.



The past rainy season was characterized by El Niño-enhanced conditions, leading to improved general food security. However, the meteorological department has forecast borderline La Niña conditions in the next months.



According to the August Kenya Food Security Outlook, La Niña events typically cause below-normal October to December rains in the east of the Greater Horn of Africa, and can also negatively affect the 2011 long rains. "A moderate or strong La Niña event could easily reverse the recovery process among the northeastern pastoral households because improvements in household food security are fragile, after a succession of up to four poor or failed seasons," it warned.



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