At least 155 individuals have lost their lives due to flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Tanzania, according to Al Jazeera. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, in a parliamentary address, attributed the severity of the current rainy season to the El Nino climate pattern, leading to widespread flooding and damage to infrastructure.
“The heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds, floods, and landslides in various parts of the country, have caused significant damage,” Majaliwa stated. He also pointed to unsustainable farming practices such as “slash and burn” agriculture, uncontrolled livestock grazing, and deforestation as contributing factors to the disastrous impacts of the rains.
Majaliwa reported that more than 51,000 houses and over 200,000 individuals were affected by the rains. Emergency services are working to rescue those stranded by flooding, and schools have been closed due to inundation, as per Al Jazeera.
Additionally, over 226 people have been injured due to the floods and rains in Tanzania, as heavy downpours continue to affect East Africa. The El Nino weather phenomena, which is linked to rising global temperatures, droughts, and heavy precipitation, is a natural occurrence.
The East African region has experienced unusually heavy rainfall during this rainy season, with reports of flooding also coming in from neighboring Burundi and Kenya.