Nairobi: The United Nations has reported that at least 29 people have lost their lives and tens of thousands have been displaced in Burundi since the onset of the rainy season in September last year.
According to the UN, Burundi, considered one of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, has been inundated by nearly continuous rainfall, aggravated by the El Nino weather pattern.
The incessant rains have wreaked havoc on the East African nation, causing extensive flooding, particularly in Burundi’s capital city of Bujumbura, situated on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Several neighborhoods have been submerged, and critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges have been destroyed.
“The El Nino phenomenon has caused torrential rains, flooding, and landslides,” stated the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a recent update.
As of April 26, over 237,000 persons have been affected by the floods, with approximately 42,000 people displaced from their homes, with more than half of them being women. The toll includes 29 fatalities and 175 injuries.
OCHA also cautioned about the escalating water levels of Lake Tanganyika, the second largest lake in Africa. In response to the crisis, the Burundian government, in collaboration with the United Nations, issued an appeal for financial assistance to address the “devastating effects” of the prolonged rains.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s administration has faced criticism from civil society groups and the opposition, who have demanded the declaration of a state of emergency or natural disaster to mobilize additional resources and aid efforts.
