By Timothy Lukanga
At least 20 people have been killed by floods after heavy rain in the Manyara region of northern Tanzania,
Severe flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon has killed hundreds of people in Kenya and Somalia in recent weeks. The rains have also left a trail of destruction, ruining infrastructure like roads and submerging towns in East Africa, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
“We are very shocked by this event,” President Samia Suluhu Hassan said in a video message posted online by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health. reported at least 95 people have been injured, with many of them hospitalized.
The Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa, is expected to arrive in the Manyara Region on 04 December to assess the situation and hold meetings with local officials.
Wide areas of East Africa including Tanzania have endured heavy rains and flooding since late October this year, partly caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The heavy rain on Saturday night caused landslides in some areas of Mount Hanang, domestic media outlets reported, adding that the waters also swept away livestock.
Climate change is causing more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, scientists say.
In response, African leaders are pushing for new global taxes and changes to international financial institutions to help fund climate change action.
On 24 November, the Red Cross reported a total of 10,090 people, or 2,018 households were affected across the country, with 1,245 houses damaged or destroyed. A total of 12 fatalities were reported. Areas of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, Tanga, Kigoma, Kagera and Geita were among those affected.
