![]() | It has been suggested that 2023 Rwanda floods be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2024. |
The 2023 African Great Lakes floods are floods in April and May 2023 that have killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. [1] [2] [3]
Frequent heavy rains causing damage and casualties between March and May are common in East Africa – in May 2020 around 80 people were killed by floods in Rwanda. Floods and droughts have increased in Rwanda over a 30-year period. [4] Rwanda's weather authority attributes the unusual rainfall patterns to climate change. [5]
In 2023, several rounds of heavy rain saturated the ground, increasing the likelihood of flooding. Between January and April 2023, the Ministry of Emergency Management reported that weather-related disasters caused 60 fatalities, destroyed over 1,205 homes and damaged 5,000 acres of land across Rwanda. [1] On 2 May, the Rwanda Meteorology Agency predicted above-average forecast rainfall for the next 10 days. [6]
Uganda also experienced heavy rain beginning in March, which caused landslides that destroyed homes and displaced hundreds of people. [2]
At least 440 people were killed and over 2,500 others were left missing by floods in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo since 5 May. [7] [8] [9] In response to the flooding, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi announced a national day of mourning for 8 May. [8] Two landslides hit North Kivu Province, killing ten people in Lubero and at least six people at the Songambele mine, and leaving dozens of miners missing. 100 workers were at the mine at the time of the landslide. [10] [11]
Heavy rain started around 16:00 UTC (6 p.m. local time) on 2 May 2023 and continued throughout the night, killing at least 135 people. [2] [12] [13] At least one person was missing, 110 people were injured and 20,000 people were displaced. [12] The Sebeya River burst its banks. [2] The most affected areas in Rwanda were Rutsiro, Nyabihu, Rubavu, and Ngororero. [2] According to François Habitegeko, the governor of Rwanda's Western Province, people were crushed by the collapse of several houses; landslides made the main roads in the area impassable and flooded fields. [14] [15] Most of the deaths in Western Province were near Lake Kivu. [14] 4,100 livestock were killed as well. [6] Floods also affected Rwanda's Northern and Southern Provinces. [14] [16] Landslides and flooding destroyed 26 bridges and 17-20 roads, 12 power stations, eight water treatment plants, five health centers, two health posts, and a hospital. 5,100-5,963 homes were destroyed and an additional 2,500 were damaged. [12] [17]
Marie-Solange Kayisire, the Minister of Emergency Management, said that relief efforts started immediately. However, continued disruptions by heavy rain hampered efforts to help bury victims of the floods and to provide supplies to victims whose homes were inundated. [18] According to Governor Habitegeko, some people were rescued and transported to hospitals. [2] The Red Cross assisted with relief efforts. [2] Kayisire called on local residents to increase patrols, especially at night. [14]
From 24 April to 3 May, at least 18 people were killed in Uganda, including five members of a family who were killed in a landslide; three were injured and three were left missing by floods. Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Kasese, Mbale and Rukungiri Districts. Many houses were damaged or destroyed in the country. [3] [19] On 17 May, the National Environment Management Authority of Uganda said that 23 people died and 16 were injured due to landslides and floods in Ntokoro and Kigezi Districts. The Katonga River flooded and submerged Uganda's major trans-national road. [20]
South Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.
The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.
The 2010 Ugandan landslide occurred in the Bududa District in eastern Uganda on 1 March 2010. The landslide was triggered by heavy rain between 12 pm and 7 pm that day. At least 100 people were believed to have been killed, and 94 bodies were found.
The Allied Democratic Forces insurgency is an ongoing conflict waged by the Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, against the governments of those two countries and the MONUSCO. The insurgency began in 1996, intensifying in 2013, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The ADF is known to currently control a number of hidden camps which are home to about 2,000 people; in these camps, the ADF operates as a proto-state with "an internal security service, a prison, health clinics, and an orphanage" as well as schools for boys and girls.
The 2017 Semuliki attack was an attack carried out by elements of the Allied Democratic Forces on a United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) operating base in the Beni Territory, North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on December 7, 2017. The attack was highly coordinated and resulted in the deaths of fifteen U.N. peacekeeping personnel and wounds to 53 others making it the deadliest incident for the U.N. since the deaths of twenty-four Pakistani peacekeepers in an ambush in Somalia in 1993. The attack was among many of the latest flare-ups in violence in the North Kivu region which borders Uganda and Rwanda and one of the ADF's deadliest attacks in recent history. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres labeled the attack, "the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organization's recent history."
The 2018 East Africa Floods were a natural disaster in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Djibouti, and Burundi affecting millions of people. They began when excessive rains began falling in March 2018 following a year of severe drought, leading to massive flooding, landslides, and the failure and overflow of several dams. Record rainfall was recorded in several areas, surpassing various records set during the 1950s and during the 1997–98 El Niño event. Nearly 500 people have lost their lives while hundreds of thousands of others have been displaced.
The 2020 East Africa floods were a natural disaster in Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti and Tanzania, affecting at least 700,000 people. They began when excessive rains began falling in March, leading to massive flooding and landslides. They caused more than 430 deaths, notably in Kenya and Rwanda. In the fall another round of floods hit the African Sahel.
The 2019–2020 Congo River floods resulted from torrential rains from October 2019 to January 2020 that caused the overflow of the Congo and Ubangi rivers, floods and landslides throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Republic of Congo (RoC) and led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Several floods struck China starting in June 2021, most of them caused by heavy rainfalls in different areas. According to the World Meteorological Organization, such heavy rains are frequently a result of climate change. The most notable floods were the 2021 Henan floods, which left 398 dead or missing.
In 2021, Niger has been affected by subsequent floods due to heavy rains, causing several deaths and widespread damage nationwide. Niamey is the most affected area. At least 62 people died, 60 were injured and 105,690 individuals have been affected by the floods. Most fatalities were reported in Maradi Region with 18 deaths.
Throughout 2022, floods affected most of Africa, killing over 2,100 people. The worst affected country was Nigeria, with over 610 deaths.
In early 2022, heavy rain caused large floods to hit the city of Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The effects of climate change in Uganda are increasingly severe, affecting the lives of the country's citizens and its environment. It has led to extreme weather events such as unpredictable, prolonged drought and rainfall. Uganda's climate is mostly tropical with regular rainfall and sunshine patterns. Due to climate change the seasons have changed, with the rainy season becoming more variable in length and droughts more ubiquitous, especially in eastern and northeastern Uganda. Climate trends have the potential to affect development of Uganda, due to the vulnerability of Uganda's diverse environment.
In late March 2022, the March 23 Movement (M23) launched an offensive in North Kivu, clashing with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and MONUSCO. The fighting displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and caused renewed tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, as the latter was proved of supporting the rebel offensive.
On the night of 6 and 7 September 2022, 15 people were killed when heavy rain caused multiple landslides in the Kasese District of Uganda.
Events in the year 2023 in Rwanda.
Events of the year 2023 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
From February to late-December 2023, floods killed over 2,600 people in 15 countries across Africa.
Flooding affected parts of South Asia since March of 2023, killing many and destroying buildings.
Events of the year 2024 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.