The Red Cross in the Republic of the Congo (also known as Congo-Brazzaville) reported severe flooding in northern parts of the country, where thousands of people have been displaced.

Some flooding was reported in parts of the Cuvette Department in late November 2022. Around 500 people were affected in the town of Oyo on the Alima River.

Flooding worsened after several rivers in the region rose sharply in early December 2022. According to damage assessments carried out in mid-December, as many as 164,679 people have been affected across 23 districts in the departments of Cuvette, Likouala, Plateaux, and Sangha.

Likouala Department is among the worst affected, with flooding reported in as many as 13 districts. Congo Red Cross said thousands of people have been displaced and are staying in public buildings such as schools or churches, or sleeping outside without shelter.

Areas of the town of Bétou, situated on the right bank of the Ubangi River in the Likouala Department saw severe flooding, with as many as 13,861 people displaced and over 700 homes damaged or destroyed. In total over 22,000 residents of the town have been affected by the flooding.

It’s a similar story in Impfondo, also situated on the Ubangi River, where flooding has impacted the lives of over 23,600 people. More than 1,700 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the area. In Enyellé and surrounding villages, more than 8,000 people from 1,596 households have been affected.

In Sangha Department, communities along the Sangha River have been affected, in particular around Pokola where 567 homes have been damaged or destroyed and 9,895 people affected. Flooding also damaged 244 homes and wide areas of crops in Kabo, also situated on the Sangha River along the border with Cameroon.