Hit by torrential rains | Kenya and Tanzania prepare for cyclone

(Nairobi) Kenya and Tanzania prepare for the arrival of the cyclone on Thursday Hidaya after torrential rains devastated East Africa, killing more than 350 people and forcing tens of thousands more to flee their homes.

Floods which have already claimed the lives of more than 188 people in Kenya since March have also triggered the displacement of 165,000 people and 90 are missing, the Interior Ministry said. The government urged the population to remain alert.

“The coastal region is likely to face the cyclone Hidayawhich will bring heavy rainfall, large waves and strong winds that may affect maritime activities in the Indian Ocean,” announced the office of Kenyan President William Ruto.

Neighboring Tanzania, where at least 155 people have died in floods and landslides, is also expected to feel the force of the cyclone.

” The cyclone Hidaya (…) is expected to impact weather conditions in the country, particularly with heavy rains and strong winds in some areas close to the Indian Ocean,” the Tanzanian Red Cross Society said on X.

Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is among the territories expected to experience heavy rains over the next two days, the national meteorology department announced on the same social network.

Since the start of the rainy season in Kenya, heavy rainfall, amplified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, has caused devastating floods, leading to the destruction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

During the deadliest episode, dozens of people died during the night from Sunday to Monday when a natural dam in the center of the country burst under the effect of accumulating rain.

Order to evacuate

On Wednesday, around a hundred tourists were stranded by a flooded river in the famous Masai Mara national reserve, after heavy rainfall.

Emergency services evacuated 90 people by land or air from this reserve known for its rich wildlife, where lodges and camps dedicated to safaris were flooded.

The area remains inaccessible for the moment due to the destruction of bridges, said local administrator Stephen Nakola, adding that around fifty camps have been affected by the floods.

Although no casualties have been reported, local communities have been forced to leave.

“Accessing Masai Mara is a nightmare at the moment and the people stuck there are really worried, they have no road to get out,” Mr. Nakola said, adding that they fear the outbreak of diseases transmissible through the water.

President Ruto announced on Tuesday that he had mobilized the army and ordered the evacuation of people living in risk areas.

In a statement released Thursday evening, the Interior Ministry ordered anyone living near major rivers or near 178 “dams or reservoirs filled or almost filled with water” to leave the area within 24 hours, warning that otherwise they would face “mandatory evacuation for their safety.” »

The United Arab Emirates has sent 80 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Kenya, Kenyan government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said on X on Thursday.

Travel advice

The United States and the United Kingdom have issued travel alerts to Kenya, asking their nationals to exercise caution.

Several other East African countries are facing the devastating consequences of seasonal rains increased tenfold by El Niño.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “is deeply distressed” to learn of the loss of lives in floods in Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and other parts of East Africa, said indicated his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

In Burundi, at least 29 people have died and 175 have been injured since the start of the rainy season in September, the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said. More than 237,000 people were affected by the floods, which displaced 42,000 people, more than half of whom are women, according to the same source.

El Niño is a natural weather phenomenon generally associated with global warming, which causes droughts in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.