U.S. troops help with Kenya flood aid

NAIRONI, Kenya, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A small detachment of U.S. military personnel have been deployed to Northern Kenya to help with flood relief.

The Daily Nation, quoting a U.S. military spokesman in nearby Djibouti, reported on Sunday that about 10 U.S. troops had already arrived in Kenya and as many as 40 more were on their way.

The troops would operate in Garissa and Daadab. Heavy rains and flooding in northern Kenya have displaced more than 30,000 families as well as washed away bridges and roads.

A U.S. C-130 aircraft has already been flying in bags of maize to help alleviate hunger.

Among those pitching in is a detachment of U.S. Navy Seabees, which had been digging water wells in Garissa, the newspaper said.