The government of Burundi and the UN representative on the ground have launched an appeal for financial aid. East Africa has been experiencing torrential rains in recent weeks which caused the death of at least 58 people in Tanzania during the first half of April.
The rains have been almost uninterrupted since September, instead of the usual two rainy seasons (September-January and March-May). In total, between September and April 7,203,944 people were affected by floods, landslides, violent winds, and hail, and the number of internally displaced people increased by 25% to reach 96,000 people. The World Bank says Burundi is one of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The government of President Evarist Elirist is appealing for financial help to deal with the “devastating effects” of the rains.