Floods in Africa in 2023
| This article needs to be
updated
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
February 2024
)
|
2023 Africa floods
|
Duration
| 5 February 2023
(
2023-02-05
)
? 28 December 2023
(
2023-12-28
)
|
|
Fatalities
| 2,683
[a]
|
---|
Injuries
| 2,158
[b]
|
---|
Missing
| 2,658
|
---|
Areas affected
| Angola
,
Cameroon
,
Democratic Republic of the Congo
,
Ethiopia
,
Kenya
,
Madagascar
,
Malawi
,
Mozambique
,
Rwanda
,
Sierra Leone
,
Somalia
,
South Africa
,
Tanzania
,
Uganda
,
Zimbabwe
|
---|
Houses destroyed
| 146,066
|
From February to late-December 2023, floods killed over 2,600 people in 15 countries across
Africa
.
Background
[
edit
]
Frequent heavy rains causing damage and casualties between March and May are common in
East Africa
? in May 2020 around 80 people were killed by floods in
Rwanda
. Floods and droughts have increased in Rwanda over a 30-year period.
[1]
Rwanda's weather authority attributes the unusual rainfall patterns to climate change.
[2]
In 2023, several rounds of heavy rain saturated the ground, increasing the likelihood of flooding. Between January and April 2023, the Ministry of Emergency Management reported that weather-related disasters caused 60 fatalities, destroyed over 1,205 homes and damaged 5,000 acres of land across Rwanda.
[3]
On 2 May, the Rwanda Meteorology Agency predicted above-average forecast rainfall for the next 10 days.
[4]
The
Rwandan government
previously
[
when?
]
asked residents living in wetlands and other dangerous areas to relocate.
[3]
Uganda had also experienced heavy rain since March, which had caused landslides that destroyed homes and displaced hundreds of people.
[5]
Impact
[
edit
]
Floods formed by various causes killed 1,216 people in
Malawi
, 552 in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
, 198 in
Mozambique
, 186 in
Kenya
, 160 in
Somalia
, 135 in
Rwanda
, 95 in
Tanzania
, 40 in
Madagascar
, 29 in
Ethiopia
, 18 in
Uganda
, 15 in
South Africa
and another in
Cameroon
.
[5]
Algeria
[
edit
]
In early September, floods caused by torrential rain killed at least eight people in western Algeria.
[6]
Angola
[
edit
]
In
Angola
, at least 20 people died and 2,900 homes were destroyed by flooding in April.
[7]
Cameroon
[
edit
]
One person died, five were injured and six were missing as a result of floods that struck
Buea
,
Cameroon
in March.
[8]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
[
edit
]
On 3 April, a landslide killed 30 people and left several missing in
North Kivu Province
.
[9]
Another landslide hit
North Kivu Province
on 8 May, killing six and leaving dozens of miners missing.
[10]
At least 440 people were killed and over 2,500 others were left missing by floods in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in
South Kivu
,
Democratic Republic of the Congo
on 5 May.
[11]
[12]
[13]
In response to the flooding,
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Felix Tshisekedi
announced a national day of mourning for 8 May.
[12]
Two landslides hit
North Kivu Province
on 9 May, killing ten people in
Lubero
and at least six people at the
Songambele mine
, and leaving dozens of miners missing. 100 workers were at the mine at the time of the landslide.
[14]
[15]
Southeastern parts of the country were affected by flooding on 28 December, killing 60 people, leaving 16 others missing, destroying over 100 houses and damaging 1,400 others, mostly in the
Bukavu
area.
[16]
Ethiopia
[
edit
]
Floods affected parts of
Ethiopia
in March, killing 29 people and affecting 240,000 others.
[17]
Kenya
[
edit
]
Floods affected several regions of
Kenya
in late March, killing 12 people, injuring five and displacing 812 families.
[18]
In April, four people died and around 36,400 people were affected by flooding in the west and northeast regions of
Kenya
.
[19]
[20]
Throughout November, the northern part of the country was affected by the worst flooding observed in Kenya for over a century. At least 170 people and tens of thousands of livestock were killed and over 600,000 others were displaced.
[21]
Madagascar
[
edit
]
Cyclone Cheneso
killed 33 people and left 20 missing in Madagascar, with many homes affected.
[22]
At least 17 people died and three were missing due to floods caused by
Cyclone Freddy
.
[23]
[24]
A total of 6,706 houses were destroyed by the cyclone.
[25]
[26]
Malawi
[
edit
]
In March, the long-lived
Cyclone Freddy
hit
Malawi
, causing flooding which killed 1,216 people, including 537 missing and presumed dead,
[27]
injured 1,724 others
[28]
and affected over 500,000 residents in the country.
[29]
Mozambique
[
edit
]
Due to
Cyclone Freddy
, at least 198 people died
[30]
and 201 were injured by flooding in
Mozambique
.
[31]
At least 131,300 homes destroyed in the country.
[32]
[33]
Niger
[
edit
]
Thirty-two people died, 30 were injured and 110,000 more were affected by floods caused by torrential rains between June and September.
[34]
Rwanda
[
edit
]
Heavy rain started around 16:00 UTC (6 p.m. local time) on 2 May 2023 and continued throughout the night, killing at least 135 people.
[35]
[5]
The
Sebeya River
burst its banks.
[5]
The most affected areas in Rwanda were
Rutsiro
,
Nyabihu
,
Rubavu
, and
Ngororero
.
[5]
More rainfall is expected during the rest of the month. According to
Francois Habitegeko
, the governor of Rwanda's western province, people were crushed by the collapse of several houses, and landslides made the main roads in the area impassable, along with flooded fields.
[36]
[37]
4,100 livestock were killed as well.
[4]
Landslides and flooding destroyed 26 bridges and 17 roads, five health centers, two health posts, and a hospital. 5,100 homes were destroyed and an additional 2,500 were damaged.
[38]
Rwanda's public broadcaster RBA stated that the number of casualties may increase as floodwaters continue to rise.
[2]
Sierra Leone
[
edit
]
A storm brought heavy rain from 9 to 10 May, which caused floods and mudslides that killed at least seven people in the capital
Freetown
.
[39]
Somalia
[
edit
]
In
Somalia
, hundreds of homes were damaged and there were 20 deaths (including a mother and her two children),
[40]
two injuries and 8,000 people were affected due to floods in
Bardhere District
on March 24.
[41]
Flooding in May killed an additional 22 people and over 460,000 people were affected.
[35]
Throughout October and November, floods killed 118 people, damaged 224 schools and displaced 1.2 million people across the country.
[42]
South Africa
[
edit
]
There were 15 deaths and four missing in eastern
South Africa
due to floods that lasted from February to March.
[5]
Tanzania
[
edit
]
In April 2023, seven people died, six were missing, 1,400 were displaced and 60 houses were destroyed by floods in
Rukwa
.
[43]
In December 2023, dozens were killed in floods.
[44]
The floods affected the
Hanang region
.
[45]
In early December, floods and landslides in
Hanang District
killed 88 people, injured 139 others, damaged or destroyed 1,245 houses, and affected 10,090 people.
[46]
[47]
Uganda
[
edit
]
At least 23 people were killed,
[48]
[49]
including five from a landslide, three were injured and three were left missing by floods in
Uganda
. Many houses were damaged or destroyed in the country.
[50]
Zimbabwe
[
edit
]
Two people were killed in
Zimbabwe
after
Cyclone Freddy
hit the country.
[51]
Aftermath
[
edit
]
Rwanda
[
edit
]
Marie-Solange Kayisire
, the Minister of Emergency Management, said that relief efforts started immediately. However, continued disruptions by heavy rain hampered efforts to help bury victims of the flooding disaster and providing supplies to victims whose homes were inundated.
[52]
The Rwanda Meteorological Agency warned that additional rainfall is likely.
[53]
According to
Francois Habitegeko
, some people were rescued and transported to hospitals.
[5]
The
Red Cross
assisted with relief efforts.
[5]
Marie-Solange Kayisire
, the minister in charge of the emergency department, called on local residents to increase patrols and law enforcement.
[36]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Rwanda"
.
Climate Knowledge Portal Worldbank
.
Archived
from the original on 5 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Rwanda floods and landslides kill more than 100 people"
.
BBC News
. 3 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Ssuuna, Ignatius (3 May 2023).
"Floods from heavy rainfall kill at least 129 in Rwanda"
.
Associated Press
.
Archived
from the original on 11 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Nkurunziza, Michel (3 May 2023).
"Over 100 dead as rain ravages Northern, Western provinces"
.
The New Times
.
Archived
from the original on 11 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Girinema, Philbert (3 May 2023).
"Heavy rain, floods kill at least 109 in Rwanda, six in Uganda"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
"Algeria: Eight killed by floods in northwest Algeria"
. 4 September 2023.
Archived
from the original on 7 September 2023
. Retrieved
7 September
2023
.
- ^
"Angola ? Thousands of Homes Damaged or Destroyed After Days of Heavy Rain"
.
floodlist.com
. 21 April 2023.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"Cameroon ? Severe Floods Hit Buea, South West Region"
.
floodlist.com
. 19 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
.
- ^
James Tasamba (3 April 2023).
"30 dead, several missing in eastern DRC landslide"
.
Anadolu Agency
.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
.
- ^
"DR Congo ? Many Feared Missing After Landslide in North Kivu"
.
floodlist.com
. 9 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
9 May
2023
.
- ^
"UNICEF DRC Humanitarian Situation Report No. 1 (Flooding in Kalehe Territory): 13 May 2023"
.
Reliefweb
. 15 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 21 May 2023
. Retrieved
15 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"DR Congo floods death toll surpasses 400"
.
Al Jazeera
. 7 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
.
- ^
"At least 176 people killed in eastern DR Congo floods"
.
Al Jazeera
. 5 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"DR Congo ? Many Feared Missing After Landslide in North Kivu"
.
floodlist.com
. 9 May 2023.
- ^
"At least 16 people killed in multiple landslides in eastern DRC"
.
www.aljazeera.com
. Retrieved
19 May
2023
.
- ^
"Democratic Republic of the Congo - Floods (DG ECHO, NOAA-CPC, media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 3 January 2024)"
.
Reliefweb
. 3 January 2024
. Retrieved
15 February
2024
.
- ^
"Ethiopia ? 240,000 Impacted by Heavy Rains and Floods, 29 Dead, Says UN"
.
floodlist.com
. 4 April 2023.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
.
- ^
"Kenya ? Fatalities and Evacuations After Floods in Several Regions"
.
floodlist.com
. 1 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 7 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"Kenya ? More Fatalities After Floods in South"
.
floodlist.com
. 4 April 2023.
Archived
from the original on 5 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"Kenya ? Floods Displace Thousands of Households in Mandera and Kisumu"
.
floodlist.com
. 1 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 8 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"With a rising death toll, Kenya's military evacuates people from flood-hit areas"
. NPR. Associated Press. 14 December 2023
. Retrieved
15 February
2024
.
- ^
"Flooding, landslides from tropical storm Cheneso causes nearly 30 deaths, leaves 20 missing in Madagascar"
.
Associated Press
. 30 January 2023. Archived from
the original
on 31 January 2023
. Retrieved
31 January
2023
.
- ^
Southern Africa: Tropical Cyclone Freddy ? Flash Update No. 7 (14 March 2023)
(PDF)
(Report). 14 March 2023.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 14 March 2023
. Retrieved
14 March
2023
– via ReliefWeb.
- ^
Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique Tropical Cyclone Freddy ? DG ECHO Daily Map 15/03/2023
(PDF)
(Report). 15 March 2023.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 16 March 2023
. Retrieved
19 March
2023
– via ReliefWeb.
- ^
"Southern Africa: Tropical Cyclone Freddy - Flash Update No. 6 (10 March 2023) ? Mozambique"
.
reliefweb.int
. 10 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 10 March 2023
. Retrieved
10 March
2023
.
- ^
"Winds lash Madagascar's coast as Cyclone Freddy makes landfall"
.
BBC News
. 22 February 2023.
Archived
from the original on 22 February 2023
. Retrieved
22 February
2023
.
- ^
"Xinhua News Agency"
. 30 April 2023.
Archived
from the original on 1 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
Phiri, Frank; Mucari, Manuel (15 March 2023).
"Malawi, Mozambique race to rescue survivors as cyclone toll rises above 270"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
from the original on 15 March 2023
. Retrieved
15 March
2023
.
- ^
McBRAMS, Jack.
"Cyclone Freddy Affects 500,000 People In Malawi: UN"
.
www.barrons.com
.
Archived
from the original on 17 March 2023
. Retrieved
17 March
2023
.
- ^
"WFP Mozambique External Situation Report #8 (23 March 2023) ? Mozambique"
.
reliefweb.int
. 24 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 24 March 2023
. Retrieved
24 March
2023
.
- ^
"Southern Africa: Tropical Cyclone Freddy ? Flash Update No. 7 (14 March 2023) ? Mozambique"
.
reliefweb.int
. 14 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 14 March 2023
. Retrieved
14 March
2023
.
- ^
"WFP Mozambique External Situation Report #6 (15 March 2023) ? Mozambique"
.
reliefweb.int
. 16 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 16 March 2023
. Retrieved
16 March
2023
.
- ^
"Mozambique ? Thousands Displaced as Cyclone Freddy Brings Flooding Rain ? FloodList"
.
floodlist.com
.
Archived
from the original on 28 February 2023
. Retrieved
28 February
2023
.
- ^
"Deadly floods exacerbate Niger crises"
. September 2023.
Archived
from the original on 7 September 2023
. Retrieved
7 September
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"22 people killed in Somalia floods"
.
The Guardian
. 14 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 14 May 2023
. Retrieved
14 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Over 100 killed in Rwanda floods"
.
Daily Monitor
. 3 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 3 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
"Rwanda ? Dozens Dead After Floods and Landslides in Western and Northern Provinces ? FloodList"
.
floodlist.com
.
Archived
from the original on 10 May 2023
. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
- ^
"Rwanda Floods Kill 130, Destroy Over 5,000 Houses"
.
US News & World Report
. Reuters. 4 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
Richrad Davies (11 May 2023).
"Sierra Leone ? 7 Fatalities After Floods Hit Freetown"
.
floodlist.com
.
Archived
from the original on 11 May 2023
. Retrieved
11 May
2023
.
- ^
"Baardheere: Dad ku dhintay daadad & Fatahaad uu sameeyay Webiga Jubba"
(in Somali). 24 March 2023.
Archived
from the original on 9 May 2023
. Retrieved
8 May
2023
.
- ^
"Somalia ? 20 Killed in Jubaland Flash Floods"
.
floodlist.com
. 3 May 2023.
Archived
from the original on 10 May 2023
. Retrieved
27 March
2023
.
- ^
"Somalia: 2023 Deyr Season Floods Situation Report No. 5 (As of 24 December 2023)"
.
Reliefweb
. 26 December 2023
. Retrieved
15 February
2024
.
- ^
"Tanzania ? Floods Destroy Homes in 3 Regions, 7 Fatalities Reported"
.
floodlist.com
. 14 April 2023.
Archived
from the original on 5 May 2023
. Retrieved
5 May
2023
.
- ^
"Authorities say heavy rains and landslides in Tanzania kill at least 47 and hurt or strand many more"
.
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. 4 December 2023
. Retrieved
4 December
2023
.
- ^
"Tanzania floods: Dozens killed in floods and landslides in northern Hanang region"
.
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. 3 December 2023
. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
"Tanzania: Heavy Rains and Flooding Flash Update No. 2, 12 December 2023"
.
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. 12 December 2023
. Retrieved
15 February
2024
.
- ^
"Tanzania ? Over 40 Dead After Floods and Landslides in Hanang District"
.
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. 4 December 2023
. Retrieved
15 February
2024
.
- ^
"ECHO Daily Map of 17 May 2023. 17 May 2023 - Uganda - Floods and landslides"
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
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.
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. 3 May 2023.
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. 3 May 2023.
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
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.
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. 3 May 2023.
Archived
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. Retrieved
3 May
2023
.
Floods in 2023
|
---|
Africa
| |
---|
Asia
| |
---|
Europe
| |
---|
North America
|
- Haiti
- United States
- Canada
|
---|
South America
| |
---|
Oceania
|
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Samoa
|
---|
|