Congo floods: Death toll crosses 400 mark

As per sources, more than 400 people have died after the floods and the landsides hit Congo last week. The numbers came after rescue workers searched through debris and mud for victims and survivors of the disaster.

Reportedly, Heavy rains on Thursday caused rivers to overrun their banks, which allowed water and sludge to surge into villages and wash away homes. This is when the flooding first started. According to the sources, the flood mainly affected the Bushushu and Nyamukubi communities in South Kivu’s Kalehe Territory. Remy Kasindi, a spokesperson for a civil society organisation in South Kivu, said, “The situation is catastrophic.” Furthermore, Kasindi added, “It’s a humanitarian crisis that troubles our consciences.” He added that other dead were rescued from neighbouring Lake Kivu and that survivors were searching for their relatives in the dirt.

According to the United Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that nearly 3000 families were left homeless by floods and landslides as their houses were damaged and destroyed. The department said that up to 1200 dwellings were destroyed. Monday was observed as a day of grief for the flood fatalities, in Congo.

It is more difficult to determine the exact number of the missing since, according to rescuers, residents who lived in the area before the flood had come there to sell their agricultural goods at a market. On Monday, bodies were still being extricated from the debris.

The local government said Saturday said that they are relocating the residents affected by the floods to safer places. Apart from this, the government was funding medical care for the injured, including funeral costs for the deceased.

Flood disasters are a common occurrence in the River Congo Basin, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is situated. A World Bank assessment claims that as a result of climate change, flooding and other climatic disasters are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude in the Central African nation.

Reports shared by the United Nations Refugee Agency claimed that in 2020, more than 15,000 homes were destroyed and over 25 people were killed by floodwaters in South Kivu. Whereas a few months back, around 39 people lost their lives when torrential rains triggered landslides in Kinshasa.