Vet Aid Kenya RESPONSE TO KENYAN FLOODING
The beauty of working with a small but dynamic charity team, is that we are able to make decisions on the ground and react straight away. The ability to make an immediate impact saves time, lives. and livelihoods.
Every penny, literally EVERY PENNY we receive goes straight to Vet Aid Kenya, our team have no huge offices to maintain, no secretarial support, and no staffing costs as we are all working for free.
Whilst we are working hard behind the scenes relaunching Vet Aid Kenya, we are additionally taking significant steps planning our mobilisation to the field. Our ability to reach many of the areas is currently hampered by overflowing seasonal streams, washed away road networks, and flood debris.
We did however manage to get a colleague a free ride in the air the other day to video the extent of the situation in Ewaso Nyiro River. Pop to our new Facebook page
and do please follow us, we will be updating this at least once a day. https://www.facebook.com/Vet-Aid-Kenya-100473354790075/
Vet Aid Kenya - Flooding update 8 December 2019
The flooding in Kenya has affected large swathes of land, not just causing landslides, but displacing literally 1,000s of families. Fortunately the Red Cross and UN aid organisations are in place to attempt to assist these families.
Our vet on the ground Vet Aid Kenya Director Dr Gabriel Turasha has sent us harrowing video and photographs of his attempt to access animals in need of urgent medical assistance. These
animals constitue the main livelihoods for rural farmers and families. The excessive flooding has washed away their crops, and these livestock are the only means of income and livelihood support.
A significant reduction in livestock means less income, less food, and thus, increased poverty.
Gabriel is currently stranded west of Nairobi attempting to clear roads and secure an access to remote villages. However, the government meteorological office have issued a further weather advisory notice warning of signicifant heavy rain fall until at least the 6th December.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m28UxlGS4jg
Whilst we work on the urgently required relaunch of Vet Aid Kenya, please find a short history on the link below.
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Global/KenyaDroughtAppeal/VetAidKenya.cfm
Photo courtesy of Vet Aid Kenya.
Dr Turasha spent two days attempting to access areas in need of urgent medical assistance for their livestock. Normally, this journey takes just two hours. In an attempt to clear the tracks, Dr
Turasha procured a tractor. The elements were sadly against him, and this seasonal stream collapsed.
The excess of water is as bad, if not worse than excessive drought. Livestock need urgent treatment and we are currently working on the logistics of mobilisation for Gabriel and his team.