A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
Since mid-November 2015, extensive rainfall in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to flooding across the country.
On 6 December, the heavy rains led to the overflow of the N'djili River causing flooding in the Debonhome, KingabuaNdanu,
KingabuaPécheur and Salongo neighbourhoods of the capital Kinshasa, affecting 10,560 people (2,112 families) and resulting in 31 deaths and numerous injuries. The Processing Centre of the Water Distribution Authority serving Kinshasa along the river N'djili was damaged, reducing the available safe water supply.
As of 10 February 2016, the waters had receded in the Debonhomme and Salongo neighbourhoods, however the neighbourhoods of KingabuaPecheur and KingabuaNdanu are still flooded, obliging the population of these two neighbourhoods to use canoes as means of transportation. Other municipalities in Kinshasa have also been affected by the floods, following heavy rains, which have continued throughout January and February, including in Massina, Mont N’Gafula and Ngaliema.
On 19 December 2015, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released CHF 191,646 from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of the Congo respond to the needs of the affected population in the Debonhome, KingabuaNdanu, KingabuaPécheur and Salongo neighbourhoods of Kinshasa. The DREF operation was intended to support an initial 2,500 people (500 families) and to carry out a detailed needs assessment in other areas of Kinshasa affected by the floods, where information on the scale of the flooding was not yet available. The results of the needs assessment have now been incorporated into this revised Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) and DREF extension request.
This Operations Update is requesting an extension to the timeframe of the operation by six weeks and an additional allocation from the DREF of CHF 98,979 to expand the planned activities into the Kindele, Kimbondo, Masanga-Mbila and Ngansele neighbourhoods in the Mont N'Gafula municipality. This request also seeks to revise the proposed strategy for the activities planned in relation to the provision of shelter. The CR DRC will now reach an additional 2,615 people (375 families) bringing the total assisted to 5,115 people (875 families). The extended DREF operation will now end on 31 March 2016, and a final report will be made available at the end of July. Please refer to the “Needs analysis and scenario planning” section of this Operations Update for more information on is this revision.
The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA, as well as DG ECHO, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) the Medtronic and Zurich Foundations and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the Red Cross Society of Democratic Republic of Congo would like to extend many thanks to all partners for their generous contributions.