Water Mission Responding to East Africa Flooding with Emergency Safe Water

Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit, is responding to the ongoing flooding impacting multiple countries throughout East Africa, including Kenya and Tanzania where Water Mission has in-country offices and established water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs. Water Mission has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Kenya to assist local staff with emergency safe water needs in the region. El Niño weather conditions have brought heavy rainfall and caused ongoing flooding for more than six weeks, resulting in burst dams, damaged infrastructure, displaced families, and loss of life. In early May, Cyclone Hidaya caused further damage. At this time, hundreds of people have died and more than 485,000 people have been left homeless and without access to clean, safe water.

“The spread of waterborne diseases are a critical concern in the days and weeks after a disaster,” said Water Mission CEO and President George C. Greene IV, PE. “Water Mission’s Disaster Assistance Response Team and in-country staff in Kenya and Tanzania are bringing relief with emergency safe water access to the thousands in need. We can quickly and efficiently respond thanks in part to our existing relationships with communities, governments, local organizations, and other international partners.”

Water Mission’s efforts are already underway. Staff has assessed needs, tested water quality, and deployed emergency safe water treatment systems to get emergency safe water flowing for 3,500 people in need in Khukunda Camp, Kenya. This community in the Budalangi Division of Kenya was severely impacted as the Nzoia River flooded, leaving families homeless and without clean drinking water. Additionally, sanitation and hygiene kits are being made available to nearly 4,000 people throughout six communities in the Turkana region in northern Kenya.

The kits contain Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) essentials, including 20-liter water containers, emergency water purification packets, soap, and feminine hygiene products.

In any disaster, emergency safe water access is critical for survival and recovery. The internationally accepted Sphere Standards established for disasters stipulate the minimum volume of water required for drinking and domestic hygiene per household in a disaster is two gallons (7.5 liters) per person per day.

Water Mission is actively working to coordinate efforts with local government authorities to exceed these disaster relief standards. Water Mission has more than 20 years of experience responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises with immediate and long-term safe water solutions. In the last year, Water Mission responded to the earthquakes in Turkey, flooding in Pakistan, cholera outbreaks in Malawi, and an ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Water Mission’s global operations have served more than 8 million people since 2001.

Click here to learn more about how our disaster response is getting emergency safe water flowing for thousands of affected people in East Africa.

About Water Mission: Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds sustainable safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served 8 million people in more than 65 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Water Mission’s global headquarters is in North Charleston, SC, and the organization serves people in Africa; Asia; and North, South, and Central America. Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 18 in a row, a distinction shared by less than 1% of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more, visit watermission.org, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter.

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