DAR ES SALAAM: In the Manyara region of northern Tanzania, floods caused by heavy rains have killed at least 20 people, according to a statement released on Sunday by the Ministry of Health.
In recent weeks, severe flooding brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon has claimed hundreds of lives in Somalia and Kenya. In addition, the rains have left a path of devastation, flooding towns in East Africa and damaging roads, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed dismay over the incident in a video message that the Tanzanian Ministry of Health uploaded to the internet.
To stop further deaths, she gave the Ministry of Health, security agencies, and other organizations instructions to exert all of their resources into continuing search and rescue operations.
According to the president, Katesh village in the Hanang district of Manyara saw the deaths of around twenty persons.
Some parts of Mount Hanang saw landslides as a result of Saturday night’s intense rain, according to local media sources, who also said that the waters carried cattle away.
Scientists claim that extreme weather occurrences are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.
African leaders are responding by putting pressure on international financial institutions and new worldwide fees to help finance climate change initiatives.
