Devastating flooding in Kenya and Somalia has led to fears of a growing cholera epidemic, local officials said. Hundreds of thousands have been rendered homeless after flooding overwhelmed the region.
Makeshift camps have popped up, but many are still living in homes with “knee-high stagnant water,” according to Victor Moses, the Somalia country director for a charity called the Norwegian Refugee Council.
In this photo taken on Friday, April 27, 2018, a boy stands outside his family home, which has been submerged by floods following prolonged heavy rains in Tana Delta, Coastal Kenya. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)
He called it a “ticking time bomb,” as limited access to clean water and improper hygiene can cause outbreaks of cholera and malaria.
Rain was so intense in parts of Kenya that when the River Tana burst its banks and prompted officials to call for mandatory evacuations, they said those who resisted would be prosecuted for attempted suicide, the Kenya Daily Nation reported.
By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather staff writer
