Flooding kills hundreds in East Africa

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A boy navigates flood waters in Nairobi, Kenya, in late March. Associated Press/Photo by Brian Inganga

More than 260 people have died as heavy rain swept through Kenya, Rwanda, and Somalia in recent weeks. Kenya bore the brunt of the damage, with officials on Wednesday saying floods led to the death of at least 194 people and displaced more than 100,000 others. Rwanda reported 55 deaths, while at least 16 died in Somalia.

Aren’t there other disasters in that area, too? East African countries are also grappling with a locust invasion and the coronavirus pandemic, complicating relief efforts. The Kenyan government said rainfall washed away close to 8,000 acres of crops. In western Uganda, the rising water level trapped about 200 patients in a hospital.

Dig deeper: Read my report in World Tour on how aid groups are racing to protect vulnerable Africans from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks