Floods Devastate Africa

Deluge triggers humanitarian crisis
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 20, 2007 3:04 AM CDT
Floods Devastate Africa
Aerial view of the floods effecting the Katawki district of eastern Uganda, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007. Across Africa, torrential downpours and flash floods have submerged whole towns and washed away bridges, farms and schools. More than a million people across at least 17 countries have been affected...   (Associated Press)

Several of Africa's poorest countries have been devastated by a catastrophic deluge of rain, washing away lives, communities and crops. As many as 18 of the normally driest countries in the world, from Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso in the west, to Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia in the east, will be inundated with floods for weeks.

"We believe at least 650,000 homes have been destroyed, 1.5 million people affected and nearly 200 people drowned," said a United Nations spokeswoman. "This is harvest time for many countries and there are already food shortages." (More Africa stories.)

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