Floods in Mbandaka, an unprecedented natural disaster in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Since last November, the town of Mbandaka and its surroundings, in the Équateur province in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been facing a disastrous situation. The incessant rains caused floods of exceptional magnitude, plunging the districts of Ekundé, Basoko, Bongodjo and the territory of Bikoro into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
More than 100 families are currently homeless, their homes having been swept away by the raging waters. These families live in precarious conditions and are deprived of any means to meet their basic needs. Many commercial activities have also been seriously affected, compromising the functioning of local ports.
Papa Localité, head of the Ekundé district, testifies to the scale of the situation: “The current flood exceeds anything we could have imagined compared to previous years”. The overflow level of the Congo River is exceptionally high, thus worsening the consequences of the floods.
Maman Anto, a fish and cassava flour seller living in Ekundé, lives in a desperate situation with her five children. She is forced to sleep on stalls with her family and encounters difficulties in continuing her business activities, particularly due to the presence of stagnant water.
Caleb, a young entrepreneur, finds himself stranded on a whaling boat, unable to reach the dock at the port of Basoko due to the accumulation of water. Traders are faced with the impossibility of unloading their goods due to the lack of dry spaces.
This critical situation calls for urgent intervention from provincial and national authorities. The residents of Mbandaka are impatiently awaiting concrete measures that will alleviate the suffering of those impacted by these devastating floods.
It is essential to provide immediate assistance to affected families, providing them with emergency shelter, food, drinking water and medical care. Additionally, measures must be taken to prevent such disasters in the future, by strengthening drainage infrastructure and developing contingency plans to deal with crisis situations.
The floods in Mbandaka are a real tragedy which requires collective mobilization to help those affected. It is essential that the international community, humanitarian organizations and local actors mobilize to provide immediate and lasting assistance to these vulnerable communities.
Hornela Mumbela