Government calls for aid to cope with floods

The Congolese government has called for international aid following widespread flooding in Brazzaville and northern parts of the country, PANA news agency reported. "The council of ministers deplores the indifference of the international community in the face of this natural disaster," PANA quoted government spokesman Francois Ibovi as saying on Friday. The floods have rendered homeless some 1,300 people in north Brazzaville and four sites have been opened for victims needing food and drugs. The authorities have expressed concern over the situation in northern Congo, where floods have destroyed roads and crops, and left over 20,000 people in need of help, PANA said.