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At least 33 people have died following severe flooding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials confirmed on Monday.
Speaking after a government crisis meeting, President Félix Tshisekedi vowed support for those affected: “The republic will not abandon you.”
Thousands of residents in the city of 17 million, which sits on the vast Congo River, were seen wading through chest-deep water, using makeshift boats or simply swimming to escape submerged homes.
The floods struck overnight from Friday into Saturday, destroying homes and infrastructure—particularly in western districts and poor urban communities, which are vulnerable to soil erosion and unregulated development.
Widespread Damage, Anger Over Slow Response
About half of Kinshasa’s 26 districts have been affected, according to the city’s mayor. Emergency teams have been dispatched, but residents say the response has been too slow.
“The water has reached 1.5 metres high,” said Christophe Bola, a resident of Ndanu. “We have just managed to save ourselves, the rest is trapped in our homes.”
Major roads have become impassable, including the highway to N’Djili Airport and the route to Matadi, Congo’s main port.
The flooding has also disrupted water supply systems, after pumps were submerged, leaving parts of Kinshasa without access to clean water.
One of the tributaries of the Congo River, the N’djili River, has burst its banks, sending polluted floodwaters into nearby communities.
Climate Warnings and Urban Challenges
The Congo River has recently reached its highest levels in 60 years, and President Tshisekedi has warned that the climate crisis is making such disasters more frequent and intense.
Scientists have long raised alarms about the lack of urban planning and poor sewage systems in Kinshasa, where rapid population growth has outpaced infrastructure.
While the government unveiled plans last year to address these systemic issues, implementation has been slow.
The national meteorological agency has warned of more heavy rainfall in coming weeks, not only in Kinshasa but also in the eastern city of Goma, still recovering from conflict, and in northern regions.
With rains set to continue, many fear that the worst may not be over.
