Kenya: Severe floods ravage Nairobi

By Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper

At least 30 people have lost their lives in Kenya and tens of thousands have been displaced as the East African nation has been battered by heavy rain since mid-March. The intensification of downpours over the past week has led to mass flooding in over 21 counties.

The Kenyan Red Cross reports having carried out over 188 rescue operations since the onset of the rains in March.

The impact of the floods has also killed more than 3,000 farm animals and ruined over 25,000 acres of crops.

Nairobi bearing heaviest brunt

In Nairobi, where some of the heaviest rain has fallen, more than 30,000 people have been displaced, according to the United Nations.

On Tuesday, 18 people, including seven children, were stranded, and later rescued, the Kenya Red Cross Society said.

Edwin Sifuna, a senator in Nairobi County, said on social media that the local government there was “clearly overwhelmed,” and he called on the federal government for help.

The Nairobi River burst its banks and flooded the Marthare Valley settlement, destroying many of the makeshift homes and leaving people stranded on the rooftops.

Major highways have been submerged by floodwater, causing traffic jams across the country.

Other countries affected

Kenya is not the only East African country to be affected by the heavy rain over the past weeks.

Burundi also reports almost 100,00 displaced people, while at least 58 people have died in Tanzania.

The unusually heavy rain is attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).

The IOD - often called the "Indian Niño" because of its similarity to its Pacific equivalent - refers to the difference in sea-surface temperatures in opposite parts of the Indian Ocean.

(Source: BBC/ New York Times/ Red Cross Kenya)