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East Africa Flood Deaths Surpass 400

by Rael Ombuor

   NAIROBI --

   Heavy rains have left hundreds of people dead and hundreds of thousands
   more displaced across various parts of East Africa. Kenya, Somalia and
   Rwanda are the worst hit. The flooding comes as the region tries to
   recover from a severe drought in 2017 that threatened millions of
   people.

   Across Kenya, Rwanda and Somalia, the death toll from the flooding has
   surpassed 400, with many thousands more forced to flee their homes to
   escape rising waters.

   Rwanda's Ministry of Disaster Management puts its death toll at just
   over 200 in a period of four months.The number includes 18 killed this
   month as a result of landslides triggered by heavy rains.
   In Somalia, the Juba and Shabelle rivers have burst their banks.
   Justin Brady, head of the U.N. Office of Coordination of Humanitarian
   Affairs in Somalia, said the situation has left those affected by the
   flooding vulnerable to malnutrition and disease.
   "We have had a number of deaths reported at different junctures in the
   flooding.," he said "I believe right now we are looking at about
   220,000 people who are temporarily displaced due to the flood waters
   and until those recede, those people will remain displaced and in need
   of humanitarian assistance. We may see that number climb up in the
   short term with flooding spreading down stream as flood waters move
   towards the Indian Ocean."
   Earlier in the week, at least 15 people died in Somaliland when heavy
   rains caused by tropical cyclone Sagar swept through the Horn of
   Africa. The cyclone system has caused heavy rains in both the Puntland
   and Somaliland regions of Somalia, and then moved along the coast to
   Djibouti.
   Brady said those areas were especially hard-hit by drought the last
   three years.
   "So you already had a very low level of resilience of the population,"
   he said. "There are several districts that were most affected. The
   government is continuing to refine the number of people in need and
   initially it was around 670,000. That number has come down as I
   understand, but it's a case of being able to get into areas."
   In Kenya, the Red Cross said at least 200 people have died as a result
   of the heavy rains. In the biggest catastrophe, a dam burst last week
   on a commercial farm in the Rift Valley, killing at least 48.
   Emergency appeals have been launched by the affected governments and
   NGOs for humanitarian assistance.