Gatumba floods

1 Jun 2020 • News

Thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes following flooding that devastated the Gatumba area in the western part of Bujumbura. Houses have been destroyed and fields washed away by rain water that caused the Rusizi River to overflow and devastate the village.

The Anglican Diocese of Bujumbura have mobilised Christians to support the victims of the flood. All the parishes have contributed food and non-food items. The Diocese has taken the lead in distribution of the aid provided by Christians who responded positively to the appeal.

The damage has been so severe that people found dry places to sleep along the main road while others found shelter in churches and on construction sites. Some basic needs were identified as major challenges that needed to be addressed quickly such as hygiene measures to avoid diseases.

The administrative authorities have set a temporarily camp on safe land where the victims have built tents. Still the needs are many.

This disaster has made life very hard for a major part of the population living in Gatumba. Many used to live from the benefits of daily activities that generated a small income. Since the floods these activities have stopped because people have had to move to temporary land.

Gatumba is not the only area affected. On the other side of Lake Tanganyika in Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo several thousand people have experienced terrible flooding that caused many losses including human lives.