The floods which hit several provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo following the exceptional flooding of the Congo River caused significant damage and required urgent care for the affected population. President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi called on the government to take all necessary measures to respond to this crisis and prevent possible epidemics.
In a statement made during the Council of Ministers, the Government spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, reported the concerns of the President of the Republic regarding this situation. Provinces affected by flooding include Kinshasa, Tshopo, Mongala, Équateur, Kongo-Central, Mai-Ndombe, Nord and Sud-Ubangi, Kasaï, Kasaï-Central, Sud-Kivu, Lomami, Tshuapa and Kwilu.
President Tshisekedi expressed his sadness at the loss of life, damage to infrastructure and flooded homes. He stressed that the flooding of the Congo River will take time to subside and called for increased vigilance to deal with the potential health consequences of this disaster.
The Government spokesperson also underlined the importance of taking into account the transnational nature of these floods and the need for a regional approach to deal with natural disasters. President Tshisekedi underlined the importance of available expertise and the establishment of an infrastructure resilient to climate change in order to limit the damage caused by this type of phenomena.
Faced with this emergency situation, it is essential that the government takes concrete measures to ensure care for the populations affected by the floods. This includes providing medical assistance, food, clean water and temporary housing for displaced people. It is also crucial to establish health monitoring to prevent the spread of diseases in disaster areas.
The rising Congo River and subsequent flooding are a powerful reminder of the challenges posed by climate change and the need to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures. It is crucial that the government and the international community work together to support affected populations and put in place measures to prevent such disasters in the future.