Flooded East Africa braces for disease outbreak

NAIROBI, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Thousands of people displaced by massive flooding in east Africa face outbreaks of cholera, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases unless they are provided with safe drinking water soon, aid workers say.

The U.N. says 1.8 million people have been affected by torrential rains which have pounded parts of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan in recent weeks killing hundreds and uprooting thousands.

"Now after the floods we know that we are going to be confronted by waterborne diseases, particularly cholera. We are trying to brace ourselves for the worst case scenario," said Neima Temporal, the head of the U.N. refugee agency in Dadaab, on the Kenya-Somali border.

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