By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 5 June 2026 - Severe flooding in Tana River County has left several villages isolated and destroyed livelihoods, with humanitarian agencies warning that the crisis remains largely underreported despite its devastating impact on local communities.
According to statement released on Friday by the Kenya Red Cross Society, villages in the Tana Delta, including Miliki, Majaliwa and Onido, have been completely cut off by floodwaters following the March-May long rains season.
The humanitarian agency said rising water levels at Idsowe Bridge continue to worsen flooding downstream, submerging farms and disrupting livelihoods in one of Kenya's most flood-prone regions.
"Entire villages are cut off. Farms are submerged. Livelihoods are gone," the organisation said in an update on the situation.
The agency said nationally , the March-May rains have affected 85,993 households across 41 counties, with 18,587 households displaced. The floods have also destroyed 355 water sources and wiped out approximately 38,955 acres of crops, dealing a major blow to food security and household incomes.
Kenya Red Cross stated that its response teams have so far reached 2,722 households in Tana River with emergency household supplies and hygiene support. However, access to many affected areas remains a challenge due to flooded roads and damaged infrastructure.
The latest flooding adds to a long history of recurrent disasters in Tana River County, where communities along the lower reaches of the Tana River frequently experience floods during heavy rainfall seasons.
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Over the years, seasonal flooding has repeatedly displaced thousands of residents, destroyed homes, schools and health facilities, and led to significant crop and livestock losses. Major floods in recent years, including those linked to the El Niño rains and periods of above-average rainfall in the Tana River basin, have exposed the vulnerability of communities living in low-lying areas of the delta.
Experts have attributed the recurring floods to a combination of intense rainfall upstream, overflow from the Tana River, poor drainage systems and the impacts of climate change, which have increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
The flooding has particularly affected farming communities that depend on floodplain agriculture and livestock keeping. With farms now submerged, concerns are growing over food shortages and prolonged economic hardship for affected families.
Humanitarian agencies and county authorities continue to monitor the situation as rains persist in some parts of the country. Relief organisations have appealed for increased support to reach isolated communities and assist families that have lost homes, crops and other sources of livelihood.
As floodwaters continue to cut off access routes in the Tana Delta, residents remain in urgent need of food, clean water, shelter and medical assistance, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian challenge facing one of Kenya's most disaster-prone regions.