DR Congo: DRC | Extreme Rainfall - Simplified Early Action Protocol (sEAP number: sEAP2025CD01 | Operation Number: MDRCD052)
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. RISK ANALYSIS AND EARLY ACTION SELECTION Prioritized hazard and its historical impact. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a vast country located in the heart of Africa. With an area of 2,345,410 km² stretching from 5°30' north latitude to 13°50' south latitude and from 12°15' to 31°15' longitude, it is considered one of Africa’s largest countries. It is a country vulnerable to various types of hazards, including floods, landslides, and social conflicts, and the nature of these hazards varies from region to region. According to the IDMC report, the floods of late 2023 and early 2024 caused 521,000 internal displacements during the first six months of 2024, including 350,000 in January alone. This is the highest level ever recorded for this type of event in the DRC. She said this situation stems from vulnerability and a lack of adaptive capacity, coupled with high exposure to natural events (floods, conflicts). From November 2023 to January 2024, 18 of the 26 provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were hit by torrential rains that caused unprecedented flooding, with tragic consequences. According to data reported on February 17, 2024, by the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), as a result of these floods, 300 people lost their lives, 839 were injured, and 767,951 households were affected. The material damage is significant: 76,733 homes, 205 markets, 1,528 schools, 296 health facilities, and 138 roads were destroyed or sustained extensive damage that impairs their functionality. Hundreds of villages along the Congo River were also flooded, some completely submerged by the waters. A table is included in the appendices to this document summarizing the risk of extreme rainfall for at least the past 10 years. The capital of the DRC was prone to flooding every five years in the 1960s; this frequency decreased to every three years by 1980, then to every two years by 1995, and now the city experiences flooding every year, with impacts on human lives, homes, and community livelihoods. The torrential rains that fell from April 5 to 6, 2025, in the city of Kinshasa caused flooding, landslides, and silting in 13 of the city’s 24 communes. Assessments conducted by volunteers from the Kinshasa branch of the Red Cross yielded the following results: 13 municipalities comprising 75 neighborhoods were flooded; 136,206 people were affected, representing 20,198 households; 10,756 flooded homes, 1,405 destroyed homes, and 286 destroyed or damaged sheds, for an estimated total of 155 deaths and 40 injuries. In fact, heavy rainfall causes the rivers that flow through the capital including the Nd’jili, N’Sele, Mbombo, and Lumene to overflow, as well as medium-sized rivers such as the Gombe, Funa, Basoko, and N’Dolo, and the Congo River. A population of 17 million people is at risk, and proactive measures must be taken to protect them and mitigate the impact of this hazard. Several partners are working together to ensure effective preparedness, anticipation, and response. Notable among these are the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which support the government in various initiatives, including the Early Warning System (EWS) and proactive measures. Explain which risks have been selected for this protocol and why Prioritized risks to be addressed by initial actions and their link to the hazard A risk is defined as a combination of a hazard, exposure to that hazard, the vulnerability of the exposed community or individual, and their capacity to cope with the impact. Exposure and Vulnerability The city of Kinshasa is crossed by parallel rivers that all flow in the same direction, from south to north. These rivers originate outside the city, in neighboring provinces. The N’djili River flows through a 280-meter-wide alluvial plain and crosses five municipalities. Its watershed covers 2,180 km² and empties into the river via a delta with anastomosing channels at an elevation of 275 meters. Records from the Waterways Authority indicate that the highest recorded water level in Kinshasa was 6.23 m on December 17, 1961. The maximum known difference between the highest and lowest water levels is approximately 6 m [10]. Observations of water levels in the Port of Kinshasa indicate that once-in-a-century floods can exceed 5.55 m, once-in-five-years floods 4.71 m, once-in-ten-years floods 4.9 m, once-in-25-years floods 5.8 m, and once-in-half-century floods 5.25 m [1]. Kinshasa has two main flood-prone areas: • Those located in the Congo River floodplain and on the lower terrace of the Kingabwa and Ndolo neighborhoods, of which Kingabwa is the most vulnerable due to sudden rises in the water table, which is influenced by the hydrology of the Congo River; and • those along the rivers in the Abattoir, Des Marais, Ndanu, Salongo, Yolo, and other neighborhoods. The steep-sided rivers originate at the foot of hills with a 20% slope, where erosion cirques have formed; among these rivers are the Lukunga (Binza), Lubudi (Makelele), Basoko, Mampenza, Bumbu, Funa, Yolo, Gombe, and Bitshakutshaku… Populations in flood-prone areas experience impacts related to: • Loss of life • Destruction of shelters and socioeconomic infrastructure; • Loss of livelihoods • Health (epidemics) Priority Areas and Exposure Factors The priority areas correspond to the administrative municipalities of Ngaba, Makala, and Kisenso • The municipality of Ngaba (4° 23′ 04″ South; 15° 19′ 27″ East) has an area of 4 km²and a population of 347,581, representing a population density of 86,895 people per km²2. It is located in the Mount Amba watershed, a geographic location that exposes it to flooding caused by water flowing from the two aforementioned municipalities, a situation exacerbated by the overflow of water carried by the Yolo River, which flows through the riverside neighborhoods in its eastern section. • The municipality of Makala (4° 22′ 47″ South; 15° 18′ 35″ East),with an area of 5.60 km²and a population of 253,844 (2005)—representing a population density of 45,329 people per km²2 , is crossed by the Kalamu River, which originates at the foot of Mount Ngafula. Its geographic location makes it vulnerable to severe flooding from the Kalamu River. This geographic and hydrological situation places it in a vulnerable position. • The municipality of Kisenso (4° 24′ 47″ South, 15° 20′ 47″ East) has an area of 16.60 km² and a population of 500,000 (2023), for a population density of 30,120 people per km² . Part of the commune borders the N’djili River, while the rest is crossed by this same river and its tributaries. It is also nestled on a hill, a location that exposes it to river and rain-induced flooding. Primary Impacts and Prioritized Actions Loss of livelihoods, destruction of shelters, and health are the primary impacts prioritized by this protocol, and early response actions will include the issuance of early warnings, pre-disaster cash assistance, and hygiene and sanitation initiatives, with the aim of protecting livelihoods and shelters and safeguarding human health. It should be noted that extreme rainfall also often has significant medium- and long-term impacts, including food and economic insecurity caused by a lack of food due to crop and livestock losses, as well as the deaths of household breadwinners. Forced displacement, the loss of community members, and the psychological shock of the disaster also cause a wide range of psychosocial impacts. Among these medium- and long-term impacts, food and economic insecurity, as well as deaths and injuries, are prioritized in this early response protocol. Other Non-Prioritized Impacts It should be noted that several other primary and secondary impacts have been identified but not prioritized for this simplified Early Action Plan (EAP). In particular, heavy rains also cause damage to public infrastructure (roads, irrigation and stormwater drainage canals, bridges, etc.), leading to the isolation of communities from markets, health centers, and water infrastructure. However, this impact was not prioritized by the CRRDC because it requires large-scale actions that fall outside the National Corporation’s mandate. To address this, a number of proactive measures should be initiated, including: •Cleaning of drainage ditches; •Raising public awareness ; •Construction of levees ; •Construction of pits for domestic wastewater management; •Distribution of Wash kits ; •Identification of evacuation sites ; •Evacuations.
ReliefWeb•International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies21 Sept
