Democratic Republic of Congo, floods have caused hundreds of deaths and displaced thousands in the South Kivu region

ROME – The province of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been hit by devastating floods. There are hundreds of dead and people missing and injured. An emergency team of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reached Nyamukubi and Bushushu areas to deliver assistance. “The situation in various places in Kalehe territory is catastrophic following the devastating floods and landslides that hit this area of ​​South Kivu province between May 4 and 5 – said Ulrich Crepin Namfeibona, emergency coordinator of MSF in South Kivu – the calamity struck during the night and, as the weekly market is held on Thursdays, the population of Bushushu was double that of usual.”

Hundreds of people died. Many others are missing and about 150 injured have already been hospitalized in various health facilities. There are many children who have lost their parents and are in immediate need of protection. Some villages have been completely wiped out by the floods, including their homes, fields and livestock. “On Saturday 6 May – added Ulrich Crepin – we arrived with an emergency team in the two most affected areas, the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi, to support the local authorities and the ministry of health. In Nyamukubi, about half of the village was destroyed. The main road between Nyamukubi and Kalehe is no longer passable, causing a major obstacle for the arrival of humanitarian aid”.

The body bags are missing. The most urgent thing to do was the evacuation of the seriously injured to ensure timely and adequate medical care. “To date, our team has managed to transfer 36 patients by boat to hospitals in Kalehe and Bukavu. We have also donated body bags, medicines and medical supplies to various health facilities to treat patients with minor injuries,” the MSF coordinator said. We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming days to assess the medical and humanitarian needs.The poor living and sanitary conditions following the floods create a high risk of diseases, such as skin infections and diarrheal diseases, especially in this nearby area to Lake Kivu where cholera is endemic. Shelter, food and other basic necessities – concluded Crepin – are very urgently needed for these communities who have lost everything”.