Hundreds of Thousands Homeless After Worst Flooding in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 60 Years

Heavy rains in late December led to the Congo River reaching its highest level in over 60 years, forcing around 500,000 people to flee. Cyprien Sika, a refugee in a camp on the grounds of a Catholic church on the outskirts of the capital Kinshasa and a father of three, said, "It has been almost a month since we left our homes due to the floods. We are suffering." According to Congolese authorities and Médecins Sans Frontières, 16 out of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo are suffering from the effects of the floods, which have claimed the lives of at least 221 people and damaged tens of thousands of homes, leaving already vulnerable communities increasingly at risk of malaria and typhoid. Further flooding could threaten 83 million people living near a major river in the Congo Basin, which stretches across Central Africa.