Kenya's crisis: Floods force tourists to take refuge in trees

Kenya has been facing a severe crisis recently. Heavy rains and floods have driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Tourists visiting one of the world's most renowned nature reserves, Masai Mara, have found themselves climbing trees to escape the floods.

The distressing incident for tourists occurred on Wednesday, May 1. As the Talek River burst its banks, flooding at least 14 camps within the Masai Mara nature reserve, several tourists were forced to seek refuge in trees.

The Kenyan Red Cross revealed in a statement on the X platform that they had successfully rescued 36 people by air and 25 by foot. Some areas where tourists are staying remain isolated from the outside world. The floods have destroyed huts and tents, washing away not only documents but also the visitors' personal effects. Bridges have also suffered damage.

Local authorities, as reported by the Kenyan newspaper "The Standard", have expressed concerns that some tourists may face difficulties returning to their countries since the roads to Nairobi are currently impassable.

Social media is awash with videos and photos depicting the current situation in Kenya.

It is not just tourists in the Masai Mara reserve who take to trees for safety. The Kenyan Red Cross also reported the rescue of a man who had spent five days atop a tree on a farm in Garissa Township County.

Since March, the combination of floods and landslides in Kenya has resulted in the deaths of up to 181 individuals, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Many are still missing.

In the grimmest event thus far, approximately 50 villagers perished when a dam burst in the Rift Valley on Monday. Meteorologists have warned that heavy rains will persist in the region over the next few days.

The floods are a significant danger to humans and wildlife, including those in the famed reserve. Among its inhabitants are lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, as well as giraffes and hippos.