Brazzaville ‒ Widespread flooding resulting from unusually heavy rainfall within the Republic of Congo has left greater than 336 000 folks in want of pressing humanitarian help. The floods have additionally broken well being amenities and colleges and submerged swaths of farmland.
9 of the nation’s 12 departments have been affected, with these within the north of the nation in addition to departments bordering the Congo River among the many most severely impacted. In accordance with estimates by specialists, the present rainfall is twice the typical recorded within the 2022–2023 season. The water stage within the Ubangi River, the biggest right-bank tributary of the Congo River, has reached an all-time excessive.
The floods have destroyed or broken 34 well being amenities, 120 colleges and greater than 64 000 homes within the affected areas. Humanitarian wants are projected to rise, additional worsening the plight of the affected inhabitants, particularly weak communities.
The primary well being threats embody the danger of outbreaks of water-borne ailments corresponding to cholera, vector-borne ailments like malaria or dengue, and vaccine-preventable ailments corresponding to measles. Maternal and youngster well being diet can be in danger, whereas sexual and gender-based violence may additionally heighten. Meals insecurity, diet, entry to well being care providers, in addition to to secure water, sanitation and hygiene providers are more likely to deteriorate. Making certain continuity of look after continual ailments like HIV or diabetes and psychological well being, whereas mitigating the danger of drowning and accidents stays vital.
“WHO is dedicated to supporting the federal government to ramp up emergency response to avoid wasting lives and guarantee entry to vital fundamental providers,” says Dr Lucien Manga, WHO Consultant within the Republic of Congo. “We’re working with accomplice organizations to bolster aid response, assist livelihoods and restrict the specter of ailments outbreaks.”
A multisectoral emergency response plan is being developed to help the affected inhabitants, together with by provision of meals and agricultural inputs to assist livelihoods and enhance meals safety; remedy of malnutrition amongst youngsters beneath 5, offering high quality well being providers to pregnant and breastfeeding ladies; in addition to enhancing entry to wash water and sanitation providers.
Working with companions, WHO is stepping up efforts to supply emergency well being providers to avert unfold of ailments; important medicines and life-saving medical provides; and guarantee vital high quality well being providers by useful well being amenities and cell clinics.
WHO can be aiding the Ministry of Public Well being in establishing an early warning alert and response system for epidemics, in addition to shortly deploying its nationwide first responders crew for speedy state of affairs evaluation to make sure efficient aid operations.
Efforts are additionally being made to make sure that studying resumes beneath acceptable situations within the affected areas together with the supply of psychosocial assist to youngsters and supply safety providers, together with prevention of gender-based violence and look after victims.