Deadly floods in the DRC: research still underway to find the missing
Residents of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo continue to search for loved ones as rescuers dig through the rubble following devastating floods last week. Local authorities estimate the number of missing to be in the hundreds.
The provisional assessment given on Sunday by the administrator of the territory of Kalehe, in the province of South Kivu, was confirmed on Monday by the government spokesman, who spoke of 401 dead.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 3,000 families are homeless. The immediate needs mentioned in a statement from the humanitarian office include “supplies to guarantee dignified and safe burials, medical care for the victims and the injured, food aid for all the victims and shelter for those who have lost their homes and who live in public places”.
These floods have revealed the need for the authorities to work on a national land use plan, with particular emphasis on the risks of flooding in certain places in the country, according to Greenpeace Africa. The environmental NGO believes that “these floods are one of the strong signs that climate change is a reality and requires urgent action by world leaders”.
The international community, NGOs and the United Nations have activated their emergency teams, but the search for the missing is continuing. The Red Cross, which is actively participating in the operations, does not yet have the necessary equipment to deal with the situation, claimed one of its members to AFP