40 000 displaced as severe floods hit Congo

Around 40 000 residents have been displaced by floods along the Ubangi River in the northern area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reports confirmed on November 10, 2019. The floods began in October after a period of heavy rain triggered the river to burst its banks and rush across the provinces of Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi.

Thousands of residents have also been evacuated in neighboring regions of Central Africa Republic during this period.

The worst affected area in Congo is the town of Zongo in the province of Sud-Ubangi, located on the south bank of the Ubangi River across from Bangui in the Central African Republic.

The area of Libenge in Sud-Ubangi has also been badly hit, with at least one person believed to have been killed in the floods.

In the same province, 14 200 homes have been reportedly damaged, as well as 12 schools, 21 bridges, 48 public infrastructures, and wide areas of crops.

Around 9 000 have been evacuated in the neighboring province of North-Ubangi.

Flash floods also occurred in Kinshasa, capital of Congo, in early October this year. It resulted in six fatalities and 30 destroyed homes.

Featured image credit: Equipe Nationale de Réponse aux Catastrophe de la CRCA