More than 60 people have been killed by floods and landslides in Tanzania as world leaders around the world attend the COP28 climate change summit in Dubai.
According to the BBC, the death toll from flooding and landslides in northern Tanzania has risen to 63, causing President Samia Suluhu Hassan to cut short her attendance at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
“President Samia, who has been in Dubai for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28,) has decided to cut her trip short and arrive in the country as soon as possible to deal with this disaster,” Tanzania’s President’s Spokesperson, Zuhura Yunus has said.
According to Ms Yunus, President Samia has ordered her government to pay for the funerals of those killed by the flooding and landslides. She also has directed the government to cover hospital fees for the wounded and provide temporary housing for those whose homes were swept away by floods.
Homes, infrastructure, and farmland have also been damaged and Tanzania’s government has sent 400 rescue workers to the affected northern Hanang District.
However, rescuers are operating under challenging conditions, such as defective telecommunications and blocked damaged roads, Ms. Yunus said in a statement released on Monday.
This comes as Kenya continues to deal with the aftermath of El Nino rains, with the national government putting in place various measures to tackle the floods, which have claimed 160 lives and left 529,120 people displaced in various parts of the country.
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