Tropical Cyclone Hidaya Threatens to Worsen East Africa’s Humanitarian Crisis

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, expected to make landfall in Tanzania and Kenya this weekend, could exacerbate the severe flooding crisis gripping East Africa, VOA reported in an article yesterday.

“Hidaya is the first documented system to have reached tropical cyclone status in this part of the world,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists on Friday. “It is historically significant and will have a very big impact, specifically on Tanzania, where the ground is already absolutely soddened.”

Nullis noted that the cyclone’s moisture will also affect neighboring Kenya, which is already experiencing “very, very bad flooding.” She attributed the extreme weather to climate change “supercharging” the region.

The UN reports that the ongoing flooding disaster has already killed over 400 people across five East African countries, with more than 637,000 affected and 234,000 displaced. “In terms of economic losses, it is still too early to say. When you look at the images of bridges and roads being swept away, it is going to be immense,” Nullis said.

The UNHCR has expressed particular concern for the welfare of thousands of refugees forced to flee their homes once again. “Climate change is making many parts of the world, especially in fragile regions like East Africa, increasingly uninhabitable,” said UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado Mur.

While early warning systems have enabled preparedness, Mur emphasized the need for funding to ensure the most vulnerable communities can adapt to the “new reality” of worsening climate impacts.