After Rwanda had torrential rains this week, at least 130 people have died. Landslides have blocked roads, thousands of homes have been wrecked, and fields have flooded, destroying valuable crops.
After Rwanda had torrential rains this week, at least 130 people have died. Landslides have blocked roads, thousands of homes have been wrecked, and fields have flooded, destroying valuable crops.
The tragedy of yet another African country affected by climate change is brought to light by Pope Francis' Thursday night telegram of grief and condolences to Archbishop Arnaldo Catalan, the Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda.
The calamity in the East African nation has claimed several lives and caused significant damage and destruction. The Pope extended his spiritual closeness to everyone suffering in the aftermath of the disaster.
In Rwanda's western and northern provinces, where thousands of people have been displaced and still missing, the torrential rains that began on Tuesday evening produced floods and landslides.
African countries impacted by floods
After devastating cyclones struck Malawi and Mozambique in March, which killed about a thousand people and uprooted over 500,000, the flooding followed.
Rwandan Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente stated that search efforts were still in progress while touring the devastated districts, noting that there were still some victims buried in the mud, raising the possibility that the death toll would increase.
The death toll could grow, according to Rwandan Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente, who visited the devastated districts and said search efforts were still in progress because some victims were still buried in the muck.
The Prime Minister claimed that flooding and erosion were to blame for the tragedies, adding that numerous roads and bridges, a hospital, and various health care facilities had also been devastated.
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The government has provided food, hygiene kits, beds, and culinary utensils to the worst-affected districts. Still, living has become even more difficult for many poor people due to torrential rains since late March.