National Day of Mourning in the DRC After the Deadly Floods in South Kivu

maryam lahbal
maryam lahbal
2 Min Read
South Kivu

The DRC observes a day of national mourning on Monday, in memory of the dead and missing Bushushu in the territory of Kalehe in South Kivu. Officials have recovered around 400 bodies, devastating relatives of the victims.

Sitting on a stone, hands on his head, Malick, in his sixties, recalls: “It was around 5 p.m. when the rain started without interruption, two hours later the rivers were in flood, we heard cries. We started running in all directions, but the whole village was invaded by water… People died, I lost my whole family, nine children including my eldest son”, he testifies in tears.

Rigobert, also in his sixties, further down explains that the situation is truly catastrophic. He and his family survived as they lived on the right side of the road, but their families who lived just down the road did not. He expresses how difficult the situation is and how he does not know who can help them.

Civil society in Kalehe says nearly 4,500 people are still missing as the chances of finding survivors dwindle.

“The observation is bitter! We have come to bury our brothers when the State should anticipate things by creating a special commission for the prevention of natural disasters. Whether it’s in Uvira, Kamituga, or here in Kalehe, these are repeated facts, so a commission is needed,” says Benjamin Kasindi, head of the political party Alliance des Nationalistes pour un Congo emergent au Sud-Kivu, who made travel to provide aid to disaster victims.

Maryam Lahbal

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