Tanzania Floods: Death Toll Rises to Over 150

Facts

• Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday that at least 155 people have been killed and more than 200K people affected after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in the East African country.¹
• Majaliwa told parliament that El Niño — a naturally occurring climate pattern — had exacerbated the current rainy season and 'caused significant damage,' including the destruction of roads, bridges, and railways.²
• Adding that more than 51K households are affected, Majaliwa urged residents of low-lying areas to move to higher ground and ordered district officials to ensure relief supplies reach the needy. Flooded schools were closed, and rescue operations are underway.³
• The prime minister claimed the ongoing flooding in Tanzania was a result of 'environmental degradation,' which he said included deforestation, unsustainable farming practices, and uncontrolled livestock grazing.⁴
• Weeks of heavy rains and torrential flooding also hit neighboring countries, including Kenya, where at least 32 people have reportedly died and some 103.5K people have been affected.⁵
• Kenya's Deputy Pres. Rigathi Gachagua has said that a multi-agency emergency center has been created to manage the developing situation, warning that the country would see above-average rainfall in the coming days.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Al Jazeera, ³Africanews, ⁴Channels Television, ⁵CNN and ⁶Dw.Com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Chanzo. This disaster, which affects the whole of East Africa, results from a fatal combination of different factors. The effects of environmental destruction, deforestation, and unsustainable agriculture are amplified by climate change, which disrupts the climate system and exacerbates natural phenomena such as El Niño. Tanzania is taking the necessary measures to overcome the challenges, but industrialized countries must do their part and finally take global climate protection seriously.
• Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. These are not the first torrential rains to hit East Africa in recent times, and although climate change is a significant factor, this latest disaster is primarily home-grown. Environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, and poor drainage systems are major contributors to the devastating effects of the El Niño-triggered heavy rains. Climate change is a fact, and East African countries need to address this reality to reduce or prevent such flooding.

Predictions