Government warns of December/January flooding

Democratic Republic of the Congo Health Minister Mashako Mamba warned on Tuesday that the capital, Kinshasa, was at risk from flooding by the River Congo during December 2002 and January 2003 due to expected rainfall.

A technical committee has been organised to warn people living along the river to be prepared to move in order to avert a catastrophe, and a evacuation plan has been developed.

"The river level has continued to rise at such a rate that we fear it could soon surpass the alert level of 520 metres," said Benoit Kebela, a health ministry official overseeing the contingency plan for possible widespread human displacement.

Officials said the river had already reached the critical level of 423 metres by Monday, with average daily increases of three to five centimetres.

"Should current trends continue, we are in danger of even surpassing the level of flooding that caused the displacement of 80,000 Kinshasa residents in 1999," Kebela said.
A dozen people died and hundreds of others lost their belongings during those floods.

Health ministry officials fear that between 1.5 million and two million people could be affected this time - not only by the waters, but also by outbreaks of malaria, as well as epidemics of cholera and typhoid that often result from unsanitary conditions during such emergencies.

The communes expected to be most affected include Barumbu, Gombe, Kalamu, Kinkole, Kinsenso, Kinshasa, Kinsuka/pecheurs, Kintanbo, Limete, Lingwala, and Masina.