Prime Minister of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa, said that at least 155 people have died in Tanzania as torrential rains linked to El Nino triggered flooding and landslides.
He said more than 200,000 people have been affected by the disaster in Tanzania, with 155 fatalities and 236 people injured.
Majaliwa told parliament that, “The heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds, floods and landslides in various parts of the country, have caused significant damage”.
He stated that homes, property, crops, and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, and schools had been damaged or destroyed.
The Prime Minister has however revealed that the devastating effects of the rain was primarily due to environmental degradation. He further disclosed that deforestation, unsustainable farming practices such as “slash and burn” agriculture, and unregulated livestock grazing added to the disaster.
Tanzania and other countries in East Africa, a region highly vulnerable to climate change, have been pounded by heavier than usual rainfall during the current rainy season, with several dozen deaths also reported in Kenya.
