East Africa has been experiencing torrential rains in recent weeks which caused the death of at least 58 people in Tanzania during the first half of April and 13 others in Kenya. Other countries are affected: Burundi, Zambia, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville… Two well-identified culprits: global warming accentuated by the El Niño phenomenon.
- In Congo-Brazzaville, one in twelve inhabitants needs humanitarian assistance
In the departments of Plateaux, Cuvette and Likouala, the decline continues, but as the water recedes, it is necessary to assess the damage, disinfect, rehabilitate schools, health centers, toilets and water points. All things that require time and significant resources. “ The aim is to make water drinkable in situations where malnutrition was already present. We must be able to intensify programs to combat malnutrition, acute and severe cases of which must be taken care of on a regular and permanent basis. », Testifies Georges Gonzales, deputy representative in charge of Unicef programs in Congo-Brazzaville.
Four months later record floods which affected nine out of twelve departments, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) estimates that 100,000 children need humanitarian assistance in Congo-Brazzaville. For 49,000 of them, schooling was interrupted. UNICEF is focusing its efforts in the three hardest-hit departments, located in the north along the Congo and Oubangui rivers. The UNICEF representative in the Republic of Congo visited the Mpouya district. She speaks of a worrying situation regarding the deterioration of learning conditions for children of school age. Unicef is distributing school kits and setting up temporary classes which must be operational by the end of the month.
On the health side, the needs are numerous. Tablets to treat water, measures to limit the risk of disease, resumption of monitoring of cases of malnutrition and vaccination… Some disaster areas are only accessible by river. To reach the most remote ones, it sometimes takes a week. According to the latest assessment, more than half a million people need humanitarian assistance after these floods, or one in twelve inhabitants. If Unicef had funding for the emergency response (government of Japan, UsAid, Cerf), the organization is concerned about the lack of funds mobilized for the longer term, particularly for the reconstruction of schools.
- In eastern DRC, the town of Kalemie has been underwater for several weeks
The town of Kalemie is cut in two, reports our correspondent in Lubumbashi Denise Maheho. The heavy rains caused the water level of Lake Tanganyika to rise and the material damage was enormous. Lumumba Avenue, the main artery that connects the city center to the commune of Lukuga, is covered in water for more than 100 meters. In places, more than two meters deep. Only a few large trucks still attempt to use this avenue, but the crossing is now done by canoe.
In addition to the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika, the surrounding rivers have overflowed and the damage is significant. According to local civil society, more than 3,500 households are affected, hundreds of homes, businesses and even public infrastructure are inaccessible. But this toll could rise because every day, families threatened by water abandon their homes. Certain infrastructures such as hotels and schools are either destroyed or inaccessible.
Jules Mulya, president of local employers, explains that economic activities are also affected. Most business houses are flooded, even the goods warehouses. The port of Kalemie, the economic heart of this city, is not as spared. For his part, the provincial Minister of Infrastructure, John Seya, indicates that the province does not have the financial means to deal with these disasters.
- Burundi calls for help
Burundi is also asking for funding to deal with the consequences of the very heavy rains which fell on the country. The El Niño weather phenomenon has caused intense rainfall, uninterrupted since September, hail, violent winds, floods and landslides.
306,000 people need humanitarian assistance according to a joint communication from the government and the United Nations system made on Tuesday April 16. The number of displaced people increased by 25% to almost 100,000. The Ministry of the Interior and the United Nations also deplore losses of human lives, but do not specify how many. Since September, more than 40,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed.
Burundi is considered one of the twenty most vulnerable countries in the world to climatic hazards. Further rain above seasonal norms is forecast until May.
Faced with the risk of a worsening of the general situation, the government of Burundi, with the support of its partners, announces that it has already carried out a series of actions: seed supplies, food distribution, sanitation measures and monetary transfers.
But the Ministry of the Interior, humanitarian actors and the United Nations system in Burundi say it: they need additional resources. They call on partners who have not yet done so to contribute to meet short-term needs, alleviate the suffering of communities, but also in the longer term, strengthen the country’s capacities to limit shocks linked to extreme weather phenomena.
- Zambia demands access to loss and damage fund
Zambia is facing one of the worst droughts in its history, caused by the El Niño climatic phenomenon, the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, has called for emergency aid of 900 million dollars from the international community. Over the past ten years, climatic disasters have increased throughout southern Africa.
With a serious face and a heavy heart, in a televised speech, the Zambian president launched an appeal to help the six million people affected by the drought which has lasted for more than a year. Last February, he already declared Zambia in a situation of emergency and national disaster, and relied on external aid even though the country has been in a state of bankruptcy since 2020.
Climatic disasters have increased in recent years throughout southern Africa. Recently, Zimbabwe and Malawi, also hit by drought, have also requested support from the international community. According to scientists, the increase in temperatures in this part of the continent has been twice as fast as the global average over the past five decades, making it more exposed to extreme events. Last month, Zambia’s Environment Minister, Collins Nzovu, called for his country to finally have access to the loss and damage fund voted at the last COP. A fund to compensate for the damage caused by global warming for countries, like Zambia, which are not responsible.