Death Toll Rises To 79 Tanzania Landslides As President Urges Swift Action Amidst East African Rainfall Crisis

Date: December 9, 2023

In a tragic turn of events, at least 76 people lost their lives in landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Katesh region of northern Tanzania last week. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who personally visited the affected area, expressed deep sorrow over the disaster and emphasized the urgent need for preventive measures.

The torrential rains, occurring during the night from Saturday to Sunday, caught the region off guard, leading to widespread devastation. President Hassan, after meeting with survivors, stressed that this unfortunate incident serves as a wake-up call for the government to enhance early detection systems and alert mechanisms to mitigate the impact of such natural disasters.

“These landslides not only claimed the lives of 76 people but also inflicted severe damage on infrastructure and economic activities in the region,” President Hassan stated. The government now faces the daunting task of restoring the affected areas, with the president committing to prioritize recovery efforts.

President Hassan, who had to cut short her trip to COP28 in Dubai to respond to the crisis, noted that the landslide displaced approximately 600 people. Images broadcasted by local television channels depicted streets strewn with debris from collapsed houses, underscoring the magnitude of the disaster.

The incident in Tanzania is part of a broader regional crisis, as East Africa has been grappling with weeks of torrential rains and floods associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. More than a million people have been displaced in Somalia, and over 300 deaths have been reported across the region.

El Niño, characterized by fluctuating temperatures and extreme weather events, is anticipated to persist through April, further heightening the risk of natural disasters. The East African nations are urged to remain vigilant and strengthen their preparedness to minimize the impact of such weather-related incidents.

The catastrophic floods caused by El Niño in the late 1990s serve as a stark reminder of the potential devastation associated with this meteorological phenomenon. From October 1997 to January 1998, over 6,000 lives were lost across five countries in the region, highlighting the urgency of proactive measures to protect vulnerable communities.