As Eastern Africa faced major flooding over the last weeks, the government has started demolishing houses in informal settlements along rivers to prevent further flooding. While urgent action is required, forced evictions put a burden on marginalized communities. Civil Society Organizations in Nairobi have issued the statement below. We stand in solidarity with our partners in Nairobi, who have been involved in providing emergency support.
"Informal settlements in Eastern Africa have been severely impacted by recent flooding caused by heavy rains. To prevent further losses associated with this disaster, the Government of Kenya has mandated the voluntary relocation or forced eviction of communities settled in riparian zones of rivers.
This policy will result in the permanent relocation of over 127,000 vulnerable residents from informal settlements in Nairobi alone. While we recognise the urgency of implementing measures to address the flooding, these evictions are not in line with the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights, particularly regarding forced evictions.
As organisations that are deeply engaged with communities residing in Nairobi's most vulnerable settlements, we express grave concern about the repercussions of the government's ongoing evictions in informal settlements along the river corridors in Nairobi. These evictions only exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable communities already grappling with the severe aftermath of recent torrential rains."
Civil Society Organizations, including their long-term partners, have drafted the attached solidarity statement to highlight these concerns. We would like to bring this statement to your attention.