Photo Courtesy;Lamu County government
Lamu County Emergency Operation Centre (LCEOC), Kenya, has received recognition for its outstanding Disaster Risk Management (DRM) intervention.
The County was announced as the 2024, Averted Disaster Award (ADA) winners during the Understanding Risk Global Forum held in Himeji, Japan on June 19th,2024.
Created in December 2021, the ADA is an annual competition that seeks to bring visibility to successful DRM programs and policies worldwide. It recognizes proactive interventions that help communities function, thrive, and recover quickly in the face of disaster risk.
ADA conducted a research on the county’s preparation before announcing them as winners.
The report stated that particularly between October and December 2023, the region faced a compounded humanitarian crisis due to severe flooding and a cholera outbreak, following the worst drought in four decades .
In response the EOC undertook extensive preparatory measures in response to heavy rainfall advisories issued by the Kenyan Meteorological Department.
These included disseminating tailored information to the community, identifying and stocking 12 evacuation centers, evacuating 4,900 at-risk families (approximately 18,000 people), and relocating 20,000 livestock and property to higher ground.
The evacuation was completed 21 days before the floods, with evacuees provided with essential amenities throughout the crisis.
During the floods, damage to the main connecting highway isolated Lamu County from the rest of Kenya, disrupting the delivery of goods and medical aid to evacuation centers.
Additionally, an unexpected influx of displaced persons from other counties strained the available resources in Lamu County further stated the report. This challenge was addressed by mobilizing support for additional shelters and supplies from national and international agencies. Remarkably, no human or animal lives were lost during the floods.
The ADA also announced the Southern Africa Anticipatory Action Working Group (RAAWG) as the Runner-up recipient of the Award. Three additional recognitions were awarded, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Federation of Red Cross, and Red Crescent Societies (IFCR). They were recognized for strengthening inter-agency efforts towards regional anticipatory action for climate shocks in different regions.
The Averted Disaster Award 2025 nomination period will open next in November.
