Severe flooding in Tunisia causes devastation
Mass flooding has caused a range of severe damages and death across Tunisia, reports Asharq al Awsat on January 22nd.
While some Tunisians are attempting to drain excess water themselves as damage to their homes worsens, others have been lost to the floodwaters. The situation grew over the span of three days, with excessive rain build-up resulting in the death of five people. Since the floods have risen, many buildings and workplaces have been closed, with travel heavily impacted by the high-water levels.
Threats to agriculture and infrastructure caused by increasingly severe rainfall is considerably impacts on people living in North Africa. The number of those affected by the harsh weather conditions is growing continuously. Tunisia’s climate has been heavily impacted by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, including droughts, due to climate change.
For Tunisians, these impacts can be life threatening. A civil defence spokesman, Khalil Mechri explained that two of the dead were dragged away by floodwater, whilst another woman drowned in her own home. He stated that the emergency services had rescued many properties and people who had become stuck indoors. He also warned that although the weather was no longer as extreme, the alert continues to be high.
Some people are yet to be found, with a search continuing for four missing fishermen since January 21st. The fifth member of their crew was found in Teboulba, but the search for the other four remains.
Tunisia’s President, Kais Saied, has visited many severely impacted areas of the country. Tunis, the capital, has been affected considerably, with media covering the devastation to homes and possessions.
The forecasting head of the National Institute of Meteorology, Abderazak Rahal stated that these weather conditions were the greatest seen in decades. He described the rainfall as ‘exceptional’.
However, the infrastructure of the drainage systems and the networks managing the storm water contribute to these large levels of flooding, as although the rainfall was considerably heavy and unforeseen, the systems in place are reportedly not well-maintained. This often causes the streets in Tunisia to flood, with the build up of waste and debris contributing to the water’s rapid growth. This can also be attributed to the increasing urbanisation, providing less absorbency for said water.
Algeria, which borders Tunisia, has also been devastated by the excessive rainfall and mass flooding, which caused one death in the north-western province of Relizane, according to Algeria’s civil defence authorities.
Asharq al Awsat/ Maghrebi.org
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