Severe flooding across central Africa by Penny Tranter
Prolonged torrential rain has brought widespread flash flooding to 14 countries in central Africa affecting over a million people. Thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed along with damage to many dams.
Some of the worst hit countries are Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana and Burkina Faso. In Sudan, some of the worst floods in living memory have left over 64 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
The UN said parts of Ghana and Ethiopia have been declared disaster zones. Over 17 people have lost their lives in Ethiopia while 34,000 acres of land have been destroyed along with 4000 head of livestock drowned or washed away.
With all the standing floodwaters, it is feared that an outbreak of water-borne diseases could reach epidemic levels. According to the World Health Organisation an outbreak of Cholera has killed at least 49 people over the past week.
Prone to prolonged and severe droughts, eastern and western Africa also frequently endure floods in August and September – the end of the rainy season.
Forecasters expect further rain across the flood stricken areas over the next few days with a risk of some torrential falls across parts of South Sudan and West Ethiopia.
