16 Jan 2024 - Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - Record floodings International International

• Exceptional rains have caused the Congo River to rise to its highest level (by 6.26 metres) since 1961. Government has declared a hydrological and ecological catastrophe.
• 15 out of 26 provinces are affected with at least 304,000 families impacted and 300 deaths. Floodings in Equateur impacted at least 600,000 persons. Kinshasa province is also heavily affected. According to available reports, 43,750 houses, 1,325 schools, 269 health centres, 41 public markets and 85 roads are damaged, but the toll is likely to be even higher.
• In collaboration with the Congolese authorities, local and international humanitarian organizations are boosting their efforts to undertake assessments and gather harmonized data.
• The dimension of the catastrophe is huge and comes on top of the already very dire humanitarian situation in Eastern DRC where over 6.5 million people are displaced due to conflict.
• In neighbouring Congo Republic, whose capital Brazzaville also sits on the banks across the river, at least 17 people have died in floods across eight departments including the capital, with more than 320,000 people affected.