Africa facing flood crisis

DAKAR (AFP) — Forecasters were predicting Tuesday further downpours in the coming days over much of Africa, where at least 270 people have already died from flooding and one million are affected.

"We anticipate that the situation will worsen," said Elizabeth Byrs from the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), adding that heavy rains were forecast in west Africa between 18 and 24 September.

Torrential rain described as the worst in 30 years had resulted in floods stretching "from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea," Byrs said. Fears of outbreak of waterborne diseases have also been heightened.

Sudan was the worst hit of the countries in terms of confirmed deaths with 64 so far as a direct result of floods and 49 from cholera.

According to the country's health ministry, entire regions are exposed to outbreaks of malaria, cholera, meningitis and other waterborne diseases.

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