A. Situation analysis Description of the disaster
On 3 February 2015, the Director of Medical Services in Kenya issued a cholera outbreak alert following an increase in cases of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) in several counties in the country. Epidemiologic investigations conducted by the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Disease Surveillance and Response Unit (DSRU) and the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (FELTP) confirmed cholera outbreaks in Homa Bay, Migori and Nairobi counties. On 24 February 2015, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released CHF 109,877 from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Kenya Red Cross respond to the needs of the affected population. The DREF operation was intended to support 319,734 people (53,290 households) in Homa Bay and Migori counties, with heath and care, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities; over a period of three months. Even though the epidemic has to an extent been stabilized in Homa Bay and Migori counties (As of 5 May 2015, the to the Ministry of Health (MoH) Cholera situation report indicated that no cases had been reported in these counties for 10 days); there has been increased cases reported across the country. As of 26 May 2015, 3,459 cases and at least 72 deaths attributed to cholera have been reported across Kenya (MoH), with poor sanitation, especially in slums the major contributing cause.
This Operations update is requesting to extend the timeframe by two months; and an additional allocation of CHF 75,317 to expand the activities planned, specifically in the area of social mobilization and sensitization activities related to cholera prevention, control and hygiene promotion, into Mombasa, Nairobi and Nakuru counties which have been especially affected (number cases and/or case fatality rate) an increase in cases in these areas. An additional 176,665 beneficiaries (72,132 households) in Mombasa, Nairobi and Nakuru counties will be reached.The DREF operation will end on 23 July 2015, and a final report will be made available on 23 October 2015 (Three months after the end of the DREF operation).
This DREF has been replenished by the DG ECHO and Tsunami Residual Funding. The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA, as well as DG ECHO, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) the Medtronic, Zurich and Coca Cola Foundations and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the Kenya Red Cross Society would like to extend many thanks to all partners for their generous contributions.