By Grace Gilo
The Government of the United Arab Emirates has supplied Kenya with 80 tonnes of relief supplies to assist Kenyans affected by floods.
According to a press statement by the government’s spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, the first plane, carrying the relief items, is scheduled to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on 2nd May.
“The Government of the United Arab Emirates has dispatched two aircraft loaded with 80 tonnes of essential relief supplies to support the government’s efforts,” read the statement in part.
He additionally mentioned that the second aircraft is expected to arrive on Friday, 3rd May 2024.
“The second plane will also land at JKIA on May 3rd and will be received by Peninah Malonza,” noted the GoK spokesperson.
The Government of the Republic of Kenya expressed its gratitude to the UAE and appealed for support during this flooding emergency.
“The Government of the Republic of Kenya conveys its sincere appreciation and calls upon other friends of Kenya to stand with us during this flooding emergency,” read Mwaura’s statement in part.
He noted that the distribution of food items is currently ongoing across the country and appealed to humanitarian agencies and development partners to support Kenya’s emergency relief efforts.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Youth Service (NYS) have been deployed to assist in the ongoing search and retrieval efforts for the flood victims.
The National Multi-Agency Emergency Response Committee on floods is undertaking and coordinating various response initiatives to cushion the affected populations from the effects of the floods.
The current flood’s death toll stands at 188 with 9 more lives lost in the past 24 hours.
Read More: Floods Claim 188 Lives, With 9 More Fatalities Confirmed
This consists of 151 adults and 37 children.