- Tanzania flood toll rises to 58, prompts infrastructure initiatives
- Coastal region heavily impacted; government plans fourteen future dams
- Over 126,000 affected; neighboring Kenya also facing flood fatalities
In the past fortnight, flooding in Tanzania has claimed the lives of 58 individuals, compelling the East African nation to address the issue through significant infrastructure initiatives.
As torrential rains continued to batter the nation late on Sunday, the government released the death toll. In April, Tanzania experienced its heaviest rainfall; this year, the El Nino phenomenon, which has caused widespread droughts and flooding, has exacerbated the situation.
“58 deaths were attributed to the heavy rains that resulted in flooding between April 1 and April 14, 2024,” government spokesman Mobhare Matinyi said at a press briefing, emphasising that the coastal region of the country was among the most severely impacted.
“Eleven people have perished thus far in the coastal region due to the severe flood effects,” he continued.
Tanzania intends to build fourteen dams in the future to prevent flooding, according to the representative.
Fifty-three individuals were murdered or more in northern Tanzania just four months ago when devastating landslides and flooding ensued.
Eight students perished on Friday when their bus entered an inundated ravine in the northern region of the nation. An additional volunteer perished in the rescue operations.
Matinyi reported that a minimum of 126,831 individuals were impacted by the inundation in its entirety.
Over 75,000 farmers in the coastal and Morogoro regions, situated approximately 200 kilometres (124 miles) west of Dar-es-Salaam, the economic capital, have sustained damage.
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Food and other essential supplies have been distributed to those who have been impacted.
Additional regions in East Africa have also been beset by excessive precipitation. According to reports, at least thirteen persons have been killed by flooding in neighbouring Kenya.
In addition to infrastructure damage, residents of flood-prone areas are being strongly encouraged to relocate.
Between October and December, scientists from the World Weather Attribution group reported that the rainfall in East Africa “was among the most intense ever recorded” in the region.
“Global warming may have also played a role in the occurrence by increasing the intensity of the heavy rainfall by up to twofold,” the AFP news agency reported, citing the organisation. However, the precise contribution of global warming remained unknown.
