African floods 'worst in years'

2007-09-21 20:20

Nairobi - Floods are continuing to ravage an arc of African countries from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, washing away homes and ruining crops and have been reported as the worst in years in many states.

Uganda is experiencing its worst floods in memory, with about 89 000 households "severely affected" and scores homeless and marooned by the surging waters, the Red Cross said on Friday.

"It has never been so severe like this," said Hasifa Kabejja, spokesperson for the Ugandan Red Cross Society.

"Houses have been washed away. People have lost their crops. The roads have been destroyed," she said.

She added that the rains are not expected to let up until December and that an outbreak of cholera and water-borne diseases could not be ruled out.

Dire in the north

The situation is particularly dire in the north, which is only just emerging from a 20-year war and whose residents have recently begun returning to their homes from camps for the internally displaced.

The United Nations' World Food Programme said about 1.5 million people were affected by the torrential rains, and it appealed for $65m in aid for Uganda alone.

In West Africa, the rains have affected about 500 000 people, with the most severe flooding in Ghana, where harvests have been ruined.

"It is too early to say whether agriculture suffered substantial damage for the years ahead, but people will be dependent on food relief for many more months," said Hans Juergen Edding, health co-ordinator for West and Central Africa for the Red Cross.

He said there were reports of disease outbreaks in Ghana, adding the "danger of both cholera and malaria is imminent".

Ethiopia, Kenya and Togo are among the other states that have been struggling to cope with the rising waters.

Sudan has also suffered what has been called the worst floods in 20 years and at least 113 people have died there since July. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA