Kenya’s death toll rises as flooding worsens

[객원 에디터 7기 / 이석현 기자] East Africa is facing severe flooding and landslides due to intense torrential rain, which has caused substantial loss of life and displacement. Since March, 76 people have died in Kenya from flooding caused by heavy downpours, and more than 130,000 people have been displaced across 24,000 households, according to government source KTN News. The heavy rains have been primarily attributed to El Niño, which has impacted Kenya and neighboring Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi.

Kenya’s government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said that flash floods had submerged roads and neighborhoods in the capital city of Nairobi, causing significant displacement and damage. In Nairobi alone, 32 people have died and 16,909 households have been displaced. Mwaura warned that all five dams comprising the Seven Forks hydropower project along the Tana river are at total capacity and at risk of further flooding.

The government has urged residents to move to higher ground due to potential overflow downstream within the next 24 hours.

Tanzania has also suffered severe damage, with at least 155 people killed due to flooding and landslides. Khatibu Kapara, a resident of Dar es Salaam’s Jangwani neighborhood, described the situation as “really scary,” with many people losing their properties and homes.

In Burundi, about 96,000 people have been displaced following months of relentless rain, while ongoing rains and storms in Uganda have caused riverbanks to overflow, resulting in two confirmed deaths and the displacement of several hundred villagers.

The severe floods came after East Africa suffered its worst drought in four decades, which had already left millions hungry. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted that the current El Niño is one of the five strongest ever recorded, contributing to these extreme weather conditions.

The region’s governments, aid organizations, and communities are struggling to cope with the dual impacts of catastrophic flooding and prior drought. There is an urgent need for humanitarian aid and long-term climate resilience strategies.

Sources: The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Arab News