Floods Kill 15 Persons In Central African Republic

At least 15 persons have died following torrential rains that caused massive floods in various parts of the Central African Republic.

 Antoine Mbao Bogo, president of the Central African Red Cross Society, said the death toll was the first time, adding that the torrential rains were a surprise.

According to provisional figures, the Red Cross official revealed that nine persons died in Bouchia in the south of the country, three in Bria in the east and one in the capital Bangui.

The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 71 per cent of its 4.6 million population living below the poverty line of less than two dollars a day.

According to the World Bank, more than half the people needing humanitarian assistance are regularly hit by floods.

In 2019, at least 28,000 people were rendered homeless by unprecedented floods.

Last week’s floods particularly hit Bangui, and “more than 1,300 households were rendered homeless”, according to Virginie Baikoua, the country’s Minister of Humanitarian Action.

“With the government’s established crisis unit, we will identify the different problems. We are going to draw a map of the bridges, canals, gutters and the quarters most seriously hit so that the population does not experience such catastrophes again,” the minister said.

“We have only been using well water, and the toilets nearby have been overflooded, so we think water from the latrines is mixed with water from the well,” Josue Djazoundou, a petrol vendor in a quarter in the capital whose house collapsed, declared adding that he only hopes that the children don’t take ill.