More than two million people, mainly from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, have been displaced by heavy rains and flooding in East Africa. The AFP news agency reported this on Friday based on figures from the United Nations and national governments. Nearly three hundred people have already died due to the storms in the countries in the Horn of Africa.
The rainy season in the region is exceptionally heavy, probably due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. This higher water temperature in the Pacific Ocean affects the climate worldwide. Due to deforestation and the extreme drought of recent years, the soil in African countries barely retains water and all rain flows to low-lying areas.
In many cities and towns in African countries, streets are flooded and several rivers have burst their banks. Several roads and bridges have also been destroyed. This makes it difficult for aid organizations to reach the affected areas. The result is that many people in Kenya hardly have anything to eat, there is a lack of medicine and fuel and the army is deployed to distribute food by air.
Aid agencies say floods like the one they are experiencing now in East Africa only happen once every 100 years. The Red Cross warned early this month that floods could affect 1.6 million Somalis this year.