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East African Floods: Interview with ELENA VELILLA, General coordinator for MSF in Kenya The recent floods in Africa have affected the Busia district of western Kenya, where MSF has been caring for people with HIV/AIDS since 2000 . In recent weeks the MSF team has responded to this emergency which, according to Elena Velilla, MSF’s Head of Mission in Kenya, is affecting an estimated population of between 6000 and 8000. In recent weeks the flooding has displaced between 6000-8000 people, many of whom are living in camps where they move every time it floods. MSF teams are providing these people with plastic sheeting, latrines and other water and sanitation activities as well as medical attention. What are your impressions after visiting the area? I visited four camps with the team. There are a lot of people but there are no new arrivals. It’s difficult to get to the flooded areas as obviously there is a lot of water everywhere. We’ve seen there is a need for shelter in some communities but the camps are quite stable as the floods in this part of Busia happen at least once a year. In these camps people know very well where to go and there are latrines, warehouses…This year the flooding has been very bad, I’ve seen destroyed houses which I haven’t seen before. But the problem is always the same: there is a river with a dyke which was badly made and which is badly repaired every year, so when there is more water than usual it gets flooded. It’s a situation we find every time it rains but this year it has had more impact. I suppose it’s because in Central and West Africa the floods have been bigger than usual and have received a lot of media attention. But it’s a situation which has been like this for years, it’s not a new phenomenon. Of course it’s a catastrophic situation, but it surprises me the attention it has attracted. How has MSF responded? Our major response has been in providing plastic sheeting so that people can build themselves some kind of shelter and also in water and sanitation activities as it is very difficult to get clean water. The latrine construction has been very complicated as people are scattered over different areas and getting to them is quite difficult. We have also reinforced the health staff in the health centre in Mukovola camp, where we have a regular presence, and in other points. Our home based care and outreach team is going to the camps to do patient screening and refer them to the health centres. Right now, we are the only ones working in the field. What risks is the population facing? The longer term risk is a nuritional crisis in the area. The harvest is gathered in December but it’s been totally destroyed, as all the fields are flooded.
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