Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa of Tanzania reported on Thursday that the toll from heavy rains linked to El Nino has risen to 155 deaths due to floods and landslides.
The downpour has impacted around 200,000 individuals, causing extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and crops across various regions of the country.
El Nino, notorious for its destructive impact, has exacerbated the challenges in East Africa, a region already grappling with recurring climate adversities. In Kenya, flash floods claimed 13 lives in Nairobi this week, while in Burundi, relentless rainfall has displaced 100,000 people over the past months.
Prime Minister Majaliwa addressed the Tanzanian parliament in Dodoma, underscoring the significant devastation wrought by the heavy rains, including loss of lives, destruction of crops, homes, and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and railways.
He provided detailed figures, stating that more than 51,000 households and 200,000 individuals have been affected, with 236 reported injuries and over 10,000 houses damaged to varying extents.
The recent deluge comes on the heels of last year’s tragedy, where over 300 people lost their lives to torrential rains and floods in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, compounding the region’s struggles as it recovered from a severe drought.
Historically, the region has experienced catastrophic floods, with the period from October 1997 to January 1998 witnessing over 6,000 fatalities across five countries due to massive inundation.
