Pope prays for victims of floods in Kenya

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis on Wednesday asked for prayers of the many people who are suffering the effects of flooding in East Africa.

“I wish to convey to the people of Kenya my spiritual closeness at this time when a severe flood has tragically taken the lives of many of our brothers and sisters, injuring others and causing widespread destruction,” he said speaking during the General Audience.

He urged Christians to join him in prayer for those suffering brothers and sisters.

“I invite you to pray for all those who are suffering the effects of this natural disaster.  Even in the midst of adversity, let us remember the joy of the risen Christ,” he said.

The floods

Some 170 people have died and 185,000 have been displaced since heavy rains battered the country since March.

Kenyan authorities are discussing measures to tackle the disaster triggered by the unusually heavy monsoon rains, compounded by the El Nino weather patter have engulfed towns and rural areas in Kenya and in neighbouring Tanzania.

In the worst single incident, which killed nearly 50 villagers, a makeshift dam burst in the Rift Valley region before dawn on Monday, sending torrents of mud and water gushing down a hill and swallowing everything in its path.