1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Kenya

Hundreds flee attack in east Kenyan town

Mohammed Barre recovers at Isiolo district hospital after being injured during a raid at Gambella area, Isiolo Noor Ali/IRIN
Poor healthcare means preventable and curable diseases are more deadly in Northern Kenya than elsewhere in the country
Hundreds of people have fled their homes in Isiolo, eastern Kenya, following an attack by armed men that left 11 people dead in Kisima locality, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said.

"More than 100 Turkana [families] have left their homes since [15 November]," Gitonga Mugambi, the KRCS coordinator in Isiolo, said. "They are moving to the Ngaremara area [about 30km from Isiolo town], which they believe is safe."

Affected communities include the Turkana, who are said to have been behind the attack, the Somali, Borana and Samburu communities. One of those affected, Peter Kalapata, said: "Our women are unable to go to Isiolo town to sell charcoal or buy food; the sick cannot go to the hospital. Things are bad; we need security for all the communities."

The Kisima attack, which occurred about 5km from Isiolo town, also left six people injured, with hundreds of heads of livestock, which were later recovered, stolen, according to the Isiolo divisional police commander, Sammy Kosgey. Tension in Isiolo is still high and has affected learning, Kenya National Union of Teachers Isiolo Secretary, Mohamud Halake, told IRIN on 16 November.

na/aw/mw

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join