Disasters kill 60 people in Rwanda since January
More than 60 people were killed and 158 injured by climate change-induced disasters in Rwanda from January to April 20 this year, the Rwandan Ministry in charge of Emergency Management said Tuesday.
“At least 408 disaster incidents were recorded in different parts of the country during the period. These included floods, landslides, windstorms, and rainstorms among others,” the ministry said in a report.
The report also showed that 1, 205 houses were damaged, 600 hectares of crops destroyed and 368 livestock lost.
Also destroyed were different infrastructure which included 44 classrooms, 35 bridges, road networks, churches as power transmission lines.
Some of the most hit districts by disasters include Rusizi, Rubavu, Nyamasheke and Ngororero in western Rwanda, Musanze, Gicumbi, Gakenke in northern Rwanda and Gasabo and Nyarugenge in the capital city, Kigali.
More fatalities and injuries were recorded in Burera, Gasabo, Gakenke, Gatsibo,Rubavu and Kayonza districts, the report further showed.
Agriculture and infrastructure were the most affected, according to the report while northern and western Rwanda districts were the most affected.
In February, the country’s weather agency warned that downpours are predicted from March to May which could trigger disasters in different parts of Rwanda.
A World Bank report last year warned that climate change effects could erode between five and seven percent of Rwanda’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050 if not mitigated and lessened.
