AFRICA/KENYA - Prolonged drought, erratic and unpredictable rainfall, increased flooding: the population reduced to hunger

Saturday, 19 February 2022

Ndola (Agenzia Fides) - "Life in the tents is not easy because of the lack of water supply and the hygienic-sanitary challenges that we face every day", said the diocesan radio station of Ndola, the victims of the floods caused by tropical storm Ana (see Fides, 5/2/2022). They were welcomed by the Catholic Diocese at the Catholic Youth Training Center, south of the town of Ndola. The Church of St. John the Baptist, owner of the training center, with support from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), volunteered to host the more than 15 families whose homes collapsed after heavy rains. "We thank the Church for its support. The DMMU brought tents, maize flour, beans and cooking oil. However, there is no water supply or adequate sanitation near the tents", said one of the displaced people. The vicar general of the diocese, Fr. Christopher Chowa, visited the families several times at the Catholic Youth Training Center. In Kenya, climate change is having an increasing impact on people's lives and the environment: droughts are lasting longer than usual, rainfall is erratic and unpredictable, and floods are on the increase. In recent days, heavy rainfall has started to affect many parts of western Kenya, accompanied by below average temperatures and strong winds. The rains, in arid terrain, caused severe flooding, destroying one of the main sources of income in these regions. The drought has left 23 of the country's 47 counties, or 4% of Kenyans, starving. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 19/2/2022)


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