As COVID-19 Shuts Down East Africa, Thousands Now Must Flee Their Homes After Unprecedented Flooding
By: Marcus Day
Pedestrians and motorists risk their lives to transport passengers in a flooded road in Kigali on 28 January 2020. Emmanuel Kwizera
New York—Across Africa, a series of weather events have killed hundreds and displaced thousands. As Africans attempt to avoid the threat of coronavirus, many will no longer be able to quarantine as floods and heavy rains have washed their homes away. Torrential weather has been occurring for weeks, but the most recent downpour was the worst in months. Local meteorologists predict that the weather will continue.
In western Kenya, thousands have been forced to flee when the River Nzoia and Lake Victoria overflowed, enveloping the many settlements built along the waters’ banks. Ironically, the heavy rains may actually lead to water shortages due to destroyed infrastructure and clogged pipelines. So far, 194 people have died in the country.
In bordering Somalia, a nation already rocked by political instability and reoccurring droughts, 70,000 people have been displaced by flash floods caused by the strong wave of rain. Humanitarian groups are working to control the fallout, hoping to abate the consequences from overwhelming an already vulnerable Somali population. So far, the organizations have reached at least 48,000 people with life-saving assistance, according to ReliefWeb.
Just east of these two countries, Rwanda has suffered from a series of flooding and landslides as a result of the ongoing rains, battering the small nation’s infrastructure. AP reported that nearly 100 homes have been washed away and 65 people have died as of last week.
In Uganda, the weather event has taken a toll as well.
The heavy rains have destroyed several farms and roads in the country’s west. Local leaders are urging the national government to offer forms of relief.
Fortunately, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority has highlighted that they are not suffering from the same infrastructure consequences as Kenya, stating that an abundance of water will be able to be stored for home and irrigation use in the future, potentially halting the consequences of drought. They also claimed the rainfall will lead to better growth of crops and improvement in foliage and pasture for livestock.
These rains come amid two separate and devastating natural phenomena. East Africa has been battling desert locusts since December of 2019, resulting in the loss of livestock and crops across the region. With some swarms spanning three times the size of New York City, countries are battling to save millions of human lives threatened by the coronavirus, the pest outbreak, and now threatening weather patterns.
Unfortunately, efforts to stop the insects have been hampered by COVID-19. Experts predict the locust swarms will grow 400 times larger during 2020 as a result of the delay.
There are approximately 72,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,500 deaths on the continent, although many experts estimate there are many more.