At least 200 people have been killed and dozens injured across East Africa in recent days, officials and aid groups said, as torrential rains, floods and landslides pummeled towns in a region already grappling with the devastating effects of the climate change crisis .
Heavy rains have brought a wave of destruction to Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi, with homes flooded, businesses destroyed and many people trapped on rooftops.
The downpours have once again exposed poor roads and drainage systems in some of the region’s major cities, over which residents have been complaining. They also reveal how poor people living in sprawling shantytowns without proper roads, water or electricity bear the brunt of devastating floods.
Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kasim Majaliwa said on Thursday that at least 155 people have been killed and 236 injured as a result of continuous heavy rains that have swept through many parts of the country in recent days.
Addressing a parliamentary session, Mr Majaliwa said the rains had affected around 200,000 people and caused severe damage to farms, bridges, roads, schools and places of worship. He said that about 10,000 houses in Tanzania were also damaged to varying degrees.
Heavy rains this week have affected informal settlements in the Temeke and Irala areas, which are part of the commercial port city of Dar es Salaam. Some roads were also submerged and temporarily closed in Dar’s Jangwani, Mkwajuni and Kigogo communities on Tuesday, all areas prone to flooding. Parts of Morogoro Road leading to the city center were also flooded, causing the bus rapid transit network to be suspended.
Tanzania Meteorological Service warns Heavy rain and strong winds Attacks will continue in several areas of the country in the coming days.
Munir Ahmed, senior communications officer of the Kenya Red Cross Society, said that since Kenya entered the “long rainy season” in March, at least 45 people have been killed and at least 27 injured in Kenya. .
Ahmed said in a telephone interview Thursday that the floods have so far killed 4,000 livestock, destroyed 27,000 acres of crops and damaged 22 roads. He said more than 66,000 people were also displaced across the country.
Mr Munir added that heavy rainfall had affected 26 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
According to the Kenyan capital Nairobi, which has suffered the heaviest rainfall in the country, more than 30,000 people have been displaced. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. On Tuesday, 18 people, including seven children, stranded in the Mathare shantytown were rescued. kenya red cross society explain.
Heavy rains on Wednesday forced Kenya Railways to suspend commuter train services.Kenya Urban Roads Authority also partially closed Four major roads in Nairobi were warned of severe flooding along several major highways in the capital and the coastal city of Mombasa.
Flooding has also inundated several counties around Lake Victoria in western Kenya, aid groups said.
On Thursday, Kenyan President William Ruto chaired an emergency meeting aimed at dealing with the flooding. Mr Ruto said government agencies were taking joint action to assist victims, carry out rescue operations and evacuate those still at risk. Ruto also said he asked the military to support the operations.
Like Tanzania, Kenya also experiences heavy rainfall Not expected to subside Rains are expected to hit Kenya in the coming days, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department. predict Services are in place until Monday in parts of the country, including Nairobi. The agency also warned that outbreaks of diseases such as malaria were highly likely in some areas.
“We need to keep everyone on their toes,” Mr Ruto said.
