EU Allocates KSh37.6 Million to Kenya Red Cross for Emergency Response in Drought and Flood-Hit Counties
By Chemtai Kirui | NAIROBI,
The European Union has released approximately KSh37 million (€250,000) to the Kenya Red Cross to support families in counties grappling with water shortages, flash floods, and disease outbreaks, the EU said on Monday.
The funds will support emergency relief in drought- and flood-affected areas across the country, where communities continue to face the combined impacts of failed rains, sudden flooding, and persistent public health threats.
Health officials in Narok are responding to an ongoing cholera outbreak, while parts of Nairobi’s informal settlements have reported new cases linked to contaminated water sources. In northern pastoral counties, families are still recovering from years of drought that depleted livestock and strained access to safe water.
In a statement to the media, the EU said about 1.8 million people are currently food insecure, a figure expected to rise early next year if access to food and water does not improve. An estimated 741,000 children and 109,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, the funding will support cash assistance, emergency water supply, cholera response activities, and mobile health outreach over the next six months. The organization expects to reach more than 150,000 people by May 2026.
“This support targets communities facing acute food insecurity at a time when water sources are shrinking, malnutrition is rising, and humanitarian funding continues to decline,” the Kenya Red Cross said. “The assistance will provide essential food support, safe drinking water, healthcare services, cash transfers, and protection programs to the most vulnerable households.”
The funding is part of the EU’s contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which provides rapid financial support for emergency operations worldwide.
