Republic of Congo: Floods - Nov 2012

On the night of 17-18 Nov 2012, heavy rains hit Pointe Noire, the second largest city in the Republic of Congo, causing severe flooding of unprecedented magnitude during the last ten years. Five people were killed and over 2,000 displaced. (IFRC, 30 Nov 2012) Widespread destruction of the drainage system, overflowed wells and latrines as well as stagnant water caused health concerns, and a few weeks after the flooding the first cholera case was recorded. By the of December, 59 cholera cases had been recorded and the infected persons were being treated in hospitals. At the end of December, the government closed the two evacuation sites and the displaced families had to start moving back to their houses or find host families to lodge them, with their situation still being precarious. (IFRC, 22 Jan 2013)

Torrential rains hit Brazzaville, the capital, on 8-9 Dec, resulting in floods, which killed 14 people. More than 1,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, leaving about 7,500 people homeless. (IFRC, 19 Dec 2012)

Six weeks after the floods, water had receded from houses in most of the affected areas in Pointe-Noire, the government decided to close down the two evacuation centres that hosted victims of this disaster. Some affected families returned to their homes that were either intact or partially destroyed. (IFRC, 31 Jul 2013)