Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde indicated, this Friday, May 26, that the results of the floods recorded on May 4 in Kalehe, a territory of the South Kivu region, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC), today reports more than 500 dead and 5,000 missing.
Visiting the region, at the head of a delegation that came to comfort the populations, the head of government explained that these figures are the result of the first humanitarian mission and assessment of the situation. “Today, we realize that we have known 500 dead and more than 5,000 missing,” he said.
Following the torrential rains that caused these floods, several villages in Kalehe territory were devastated. Rivers have overflowed. Some entire families were downright decimated, according to testimonies. The government had to declare this territory a “disaster zone”.
According to the latest report from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on these floods, as of May 17, at least 428 people have been killed (402 found dead under the rubble and 26 others have succumbed to their injuries in health establishments) . The disaster affected thousands of people, many of whom remain missing.
This department of the UN Secretariat also noted that about 3,000 houses were affected, including about 1,200 completely destroyed. In the aftermath of the disaster, survivors found refuge in hospitals, schools, churches and other public spaces. Some were taken in by host families while others would have settled in spontaneous sites.
Earlier this week, the UN Deputy Special Representative in the DRC, Bruno Lemarquis, told a press conference in Geneva that the humanitarian needs in the DRC are increasing exponentially, knowing that the armed clashes which are provoking the massive displacements of populations are the primary cause of this situation. This country has the “most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world”, he also noted.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1189 of 05/26/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
