Death toll from Kenya floods climbs to 112

The death toll from more than a month of flooding across much of Kenya has reached 112, while upwards of 260,000 people have been displaced, the Red Cross said on Friday.

More than $4.78 million is needed to address the immediate needs of victims, Xinhua quoted the Kenya Red Cross Society head Abbas Gullet as saying.

The situation affects 32 of Kenya's 47 counties and more than 48,000 homes have suffered damage, along with 42 health centers and 29 schools that are at least partially under water.

Flooding has destroyed nearly 88 sq km of crops and swept away almost 20,000 head of livestock.

Gullet urged the government to declare the floods a national disaster, pointing out that many communities now under water were battered last year by drought.

The flooding also has the potential to cause outbreaks of diseases such as malaria and cholera.

--IANS

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