More Than 400 People Are Dead And Thousands Are Missing In The Congo Due To Catastrophic Flooding
Authorities have been pulling survivors from the mud, but more than 5,500 people are still missing.
More than 400 people are dead and thousands more missing after catastrophic flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The floods, which started on Thursday May 4 from heavy rain, hit the eastern province of South Kivu, destroying and damaging homes and agricultural fields.
Authorities have been pulling survivors from the mud, but more than 5,500 people are still missing.
At least 3,000 families have been left homeless and 12,000 homes were swept by floods and landslides, according to the UN humanitarian office.
“There are some places that had houses, but you look at them now and can’t imagine that there was anything there before,” emergency personnel said, according to the Guardian.
Congo’s government spokesperson called it “an unprecedented humanitarian disaster” and issued a national mourning day for victims on Monday May 8.
Local authorities and NGOs are providing essential supplies such as blankets, food, and water.
Last week, Rwanda, Congo’s neighboring country, was hit by the worst flooding in the country since May 2020.
