Catastrophic floods claim hundreds of lives in Kenya

(GIN) – “Maji! Maji! (Water water!)

That was the frantic cry heard in Mathare, one of Kenya’s overcrowded illegal settlements in the capital Nairobi, as torrential rains caused widespread flooding across the capital city.

Rains have been ravaging Kenya since March during some of the most catastrophic weather events in the county in years. More than 200 people have died and 1,525 have been injured.

Thousands of people have been displaced and 90 have been reported missing. Almost 2,000 schools have been destroyed. A rare tropical cyclone, Cyclone Hidaya, added to concerns in Kenya and neighboring Tanzania.

While climate phenomena such as El Niño (the warming of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean, linked to increased rainfall), many Kenyans believe that flooding has worsened due to poorly maintained and frequently blocked drains that have caused water to accumulate. .

“The government says it has deployed the army and national youth service and is stepping up search and rescue missions, but where are they?” Mathare resident Collins Obando asked. “Not a single person from the government has come to help us.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently published its findings that poor neighborhoods had been severely affected by flooding due to “lesser structures, congestion, and poor health infrastructure.”

They cited reports from the Meteorological Department that warned that Kenya would experience increased rainfall due to El Niño, which could continue until 2024.

St John Shopon

Us News Update

Catastrophic floods claim hundreds of lives in Kenya