This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
Published on December 6, 2019, a UN humanitarian agency reported that unusually heavy rainfall and flooding in East Africa had left a trail of destruction and death.
At least 280 people have been killed and more than 2.8 million others affected by the floods, which have destroyed homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods in the hardest-hit areas.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the risk of communicable diseases, including cholera, is rising due to the flooding.
"Primarily driven by the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), the heavy rains are likely to persist into December and to intensify in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda," OCHA said in its latest regional Flash Floods Update.
The floods have had a devastating impact on several countries, including Kenya, where more than 160,000 people have been affected in 31 of the country's 47 counties.
"At least 132 people have reportedly died, including 72 who were killed by a landslide which buried their homes in West Pokot County," said OCHA.
The storms have caused destruction and damage of key infrastructure in Kenya, including houses, health facilities, and schools, displacing an unconfirmed number of people and disrupting basic services.
Other countries affected by the floods include Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania.
