The County Government in partnership with Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH) distributed Non-food Items (NFI’s) to households that were displaced by raising water levels in Lake Turkana.

The exercise was conducted over a five days period, benefitting hundreds of residents at Namukuse and Long’ech in Kangatotha Ward, Turkana Central.

Water storage tanks, water purifying tablets, soap, sanitary towels and buckets, critical items for enhancing Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH), standards and, reduce vulnerability to water borne diseases were distributed.

Speaking during the exercise, Principle Public health Officer Rael Akoru emphasized the importance of proper hygiene and sanitation practices, essential in addressing health risks associated with the backflow of the lake.

“The NFI’s will enable the community to recover from the exposure to hygiene risks caused by the backflow of the lake that indicates impact of climate change,” she said.

She further acknowledged the local administrators efforts for mobilising the community and encouraged schoolgirls to turn out for sanitary pads that enables them to improve healthy menstrual hygiene.

Deputy Health Promotion Officer Nancy Birech encouraged the communities on these need to shun from open defecation along the lake as it is attributed to emergence of cholera cases.

“As a community, let us practice the use of toilets as it will reduce instances of WASH related diseases,”she said.

The activity funded by Unicef Kenya was a part of emergency flood response project that will subsequently extend to other flood affected areas in Turkana North, South and East Sub-counties.

Present during the exercise were County IPC Coordinator Mary Loter,Turkana Central Sub-county Public Health Officer Peter Mitunda and Namukuse Location Chief Eyanae Stanley