13,000 affected by flooding in Mbandaka

An estimated 13,000 people have been affected by heavy rains and flooding in Mbandaka, in the northwestern province of Equateur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday. Local authorities have set up a crisis response team to evaluate the extent of the damage, and have contacted humanitarian organisations for aid, particularly for those left homeless. "Families have lost their belongings, including crops, livestock and household goods," an OCHA field officer reported. "Houses have been destroyed, entire villages have been evacuated, and people are living in the open," she added. In addition to those left homeless, OCHA expressed concern about deteriorating sanitary conditions in the region, as toilets have been flooded and drinking water wells have been contaminated. This has raised fear of possible outbreaks of epidemics due to consumption of polluted water. Mosquito populations have also begun to proliferate, resulting in increased incidence of malaria.