Attachments
Date of event
08-10-2023
What happened, where and when?
On the night of Sunday 08 October 2023, torrential rain caused a landslide in the Mbankolo neighborhood in the Yaoundé II district council following the collapse of the embankment of an artificial lake uphill. In-depth search was conducted and the impact of the disaster was fully assessed. The Red Cross volunteers were quickly deployed to the scene for an assessment and they gave a provisional toll of more than 700 people affected, i.e., almost 110 households. The landslide swept away around 27 homes that were completely destroyed, around 30 that were partially destroyed, 27 corpses were found and around 35 people were injured or missing.
Scope and Scale
Based on first-hand information received from the Yaoundé 2 District Committee, the locality of Mbankolo suffered a landslide caused by torrential rains on 06, 07 and 08 October 2023. According to the local branch, about 40% of those affected found refuge with host families in the neighborhoods not affected by the landslide. A temporary shelter was set up in the NKomkana neighborhood, not far from the disaster site
In terms of damage within the community, the following were recorded:
- 27 houses were completely destroyed and 30 partially destroyed (to be destroyed according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, as at risk).
- 110 households have been affected.
- 28 corpses were found including 1 unidentified according to the latest Sitrep from the Ministry of Public Health (11 October 2023);
- 35 people have been injured and taken care of in hospitals.
The Divisional Committee has mobilized 15 volunteers and is continuing to assess the situation. The first needs identified are for Shelter, Health, and water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH). The destruction of shelters, latrines and water points exposed the affected and surrounding communities to the risk of water-borne diseases, mainly malaria, cholera and typhoid fever, talk less of psychological illnesses and other injuries.
The landslides rendered these families vulnerable. They lost almost everything, as their belongings were swept away by the waters and mudslides. The rains continue and the risk of weakened houses remains.