UN: 3.6 Million People in East Africa Affected by Floods, Landslides

New York, MINA – At least 3,6 million people have been affected by floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in East Africa since June, the UN humanitarian agency said in a report quoted by Anadolu Agency on Saturday.

“The water levels in several lakes in Kenya and Uganda are overflowing, impacting thousands of people, ”said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In addition, some 856,000 people have been affected by flooding in South Sudan since June, including some 400,000 displaced, the Agency said.

The floods exacerbated an already difficult situation for people across the region, many of whom are currently facing conflict, violence, the desert locust outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Sudan Jonglei area saw devastating violence earlier this year, which was among the worst-hit areas.

According to the report, around 1.1 million people in Ethiopia were also affected by the floods with more than 313,000 of them displaced.

Meanwhile in Kenya, water levels in some Rift Valley lakes, notably Baringo and Naivasha are “historically high”, following the highest seasonal rainfall that hit the area from October to December 2019.

The area will also receive above average rains in 2020, displacing thousands of people and impacting livelihoods, schools and health facilities.
(T/Hju/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)