Devastating floods have ravaged the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of at least 33 people. Heavy rains, beginning last week, caused the Ndjili River to overflow its banks on Friday, submerging hundreds of homes and leaving a significant portion of the city underwater. The death toll, initially reported at 23, tragically rose to 33 by Sunday evening, according to Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani. Many victims perished when walls collapsed under the force of the floodwaters.
The situation, while showing signs of improvement by Monday morning, remains critical. Access roads remain blocked, hindering rescue efforts and limiting vehicular traffic. Residents are expressing outrage and frustration at the government’s perceived slow response to the unfolding disaster, with many left homeless and without possessions. One resident, Marie Nzola, poignantly described losing everything in the sudden deluge. “We lost everything and left everything behind,” she recounted, “The rain caught us by surprise late at night.”
The flooding has also disrupted essential services, impacting access to clean drinking water in at least 16 communes. The government has established emergency shelters to accommodate the hundreds of displaced families, but the scale of the crisis continues to demand urgent action. Even the main road to the airport, a vital link to the rest of Congo, suffered damage but is expected to reopen within 72 hours, according to Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba.
This tragedy underscores the vulnerability of Kinshasa to extreme weather events and raises questions about the city’s preparedness for such disasters. The incident echoes a similar flooding event in 2022 that resulted in at least 100 deaths. The current crisis adds another layer of complexity to the already dire humanitarian situation in eastern Congo, where ongoing conflicts have created a massive humanitarian crisis. The government faces the daunting task of managing both this immediate emergency and the longer-term challenges of rebuilding and preparing for future extreme weather events. The stories of those affected, like Clément Matwidi who lost everything and pleaded for government assistance, paint a stark picture of the devastating impact of this natural disaster.
