Kisumu County, in collaboration with the Red Cross Society, has launched a Sh11.4 million programme to cushion flood victims from Nyando Sub-County.
The initiative targets supporting children and pregnant women in the region, who were recently impacted by severe flooding.
The nutrition programme will provide food and essential supplies to help fight malnutrition and ensure affected families have access to nutritious meals.
County Nutrition Coordinator Rael Mwando emphasized that the programme’s primary goal is to combat malnutrition, specifically wasting, within flood-affected communities.
“This programme is crucial to prevent and manage wasting among vulnerable populations in Nyando who are still recovering from the devastating floods,” Ms. Mwando stated during the programme’s launch.
Kisumu’s Nyando area is part of the greater project, dubbed ‘Strengthening Nutrition Resilience and Recovery for Flood-Affected Communities, spanning Western and ASAL counties in Kenya.
It focuses on proactive measures to avoid malnutrition and treatment for children and women already suffering from emaciation.
Additionally, it consists of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme that seeks to enhance water, sanitation, and hygiene practices to prevent illness in the flood-prone areas.
According to the Regional Nutrition Officer KRCS Luisalba Ngoma, the project outputs are centred on improving the nutritional status of children under age 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the targeted areas, alongside crucial improvements in hygiene and sanitation.
County Director of Medical Services Dr. Don Sunday underscored the programme’s importance for vulnerable demographics.
“Maternal and child health is paramount. I am pleased this programme prioritises these crucial groups,” he said.
“Recovery after floods is essential, and this programme directly addresses that often-overlooked element,” Maurice Oricho, County Director of Special Programmes and Disaster Management, noted.
By Robert Ojwang’