Large flood in Africa

About one million Africans are affected by floods due to heavy rains causing crop failures, dikes and dozens of deaths. Many areas in Ghana have been called a disaster area by the government, but in Ethiopia and Uganda, thousands of people have lost their homes.

The United Nations said that floods in Africa could cause outbreaks of epidemics such as human cholera and crop diseases.

Heavy rains and floods have caused chaos in at least 12 countries.

Spokesperson for the United Nations Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office and Elisabeth Byrs said 500,000 people in West Africa were affected by the disaster, and another 500,000 in Sudan are also in very difficult circumstances. She thinks this number is increasing.

Volunteer organizations warn that many times the area is in desperate need of food, shelter and medicine. In many countries, this flood is the worst in many years.

State of emergency

The United Nations says countries are worried about a disease outbreak after the flood (Photo: AFP)

In Uganda, where at least nine people were killed, government office minister Musa Ecweru said the situation was approaching "a crisis." According to him, "some communities have been isolated and the government cannot come to them."

In Ethiopia, one of the most heavily affected countries in east Africa, some people were killed by floods and humanitarian organizations organized a food assistance program after floodwaters hit 200,000. people.

In West Africa, Ghana is severely affected, with at least 20 people dead and 400,000 homeless. Floodwaters have submerged the land that produces food to feed this country.

President John Kufuor has declared Ghana's northern region a disaster area.

Mr. Benonita Bismarck of Ghana Red Cross Association commented that the situation here is very urgent and some cases of cholera have been discovered.

George Azi Amoo, coordinator of Ghana's disaster management agency, said floodwaters destroyed the country's farmland, livestock and infrastructure. He told the BBC's Newshour program: "Some villages and communities are now completely washed away."

In neighboring Togo, about 34,000 people had to leave their homes and at least 20 people were killed. The infrastructure here is also badly damaged.