DRC floods: More than 200 children killed as death toll surges

About 410 people have been killed in the flood that ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week.

In a statement on Wednesday, Save the Children, an international humanitarian organisation, said more than 200 children were killed with another 90 separated from their families.

The flood which took place in South Kivu, eastern DRC, is one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in years.

More than 5,500 people are still missing and an estimated 3,000 homes have been destroyed and six schools washed away.

The province of South Kivu is also going through its worst food crisis in a generation and has been affected by armed conflicts and violence for several years, as well as outbreaks of cholera and measles.

At least 1.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Kivu, where 20 percent of the population is internally displaced, Save the Children said.

Cecilia Thiam, the organisation’s humanitarian director in the DRC, said erratic rain patterns including flooding have become more common in recent years due to the climate crisis.

She added that the flood had destroyed road networks and hampered rescue efforts.

“The floods have had a devastating impact on communities in South Kivu. We are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of the children affected, including those who have tragically lost parents or who remain unaccompanied and separated from their families,” Thiam said.

“This past week’s tragic floods show once again that the world’s most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Preparation and adaptation for such extreme weather events must be made a priority.”

She said Save the Children has dispatched emergency response teams to the affected areas to support government operations and is setting up two temporary learning spaces with school canteens to ensure that children don’t stop going to school.

In addition to setting up temporary learning spaces, Thiam said the organisation is providing medical supplies to health clinics, as well as menstrual health management and education kits to support those displaced by the flood.