The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday said floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains affected nearly one million people in East Africa.

According to UNICEF, large numbers of people have been displaced in Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania, and significant damage has been reported, including damage to homes, schools, and infrastructure and loss of crops and livestock.

UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli, said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that heavy rains and subsequent floods disrupted lives and posed significant risks to children in the affected regions.

She said safety, health, access to food, clean water, and essential services remain paramount.

Ms Kadilli said, “UNICEF is working closely with governments and local partners engaging with affected communities to identify the most urgent needs and ensure that children are safe, able to continue learning and receiving psycho-social support as needed.”

She added that unusually heavy rains in the region, exacerbated by the 2023-2024 El Nino climate phenomena, have claimed hundreds of lives and highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.

The organisation said that the situation had further exacerbated the lives of women and children, who already face high levels of discrimination in access to protection services and resources, as well as vulnerability to violence, abuse, and exploitation.

Ms Kadilli said the vulnerability of communities in eastern and southern Africa has increased amid the escalating crisis of droughts and floods caused by El Nino, raising serious concerns about the future of children in the region.

“Thanks to the invaluable support from our donors and partners, UNICEF is actively engaged on the ground.

“Together with governments, civil society, and local communities, we are delivering lifesaving interventions and bracing for potential surges in humanitarian needs,” Ms Kadilli said.

Ms Kadilli said sustained and flexible support from donors and multilateral climate funds is critical to saving lives and strengthening the resilience of children repeatedly hit by climate emergencies.

(Xinhua/NAN)