Heavy rain-induced disasters kill 52 in Rwanda since April

Kigali: At least 52 people have been killed and 107 others injured by disasters triggered by heavy rains in Rwanda since the beginning of April, an official said.

Adalbert Rukebanuka, director general of planning, policy, and risk reduction at the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management, told reporters on Friday in the national capital of Kigali that between April 1 and 16, the country recorded 390 disaster incidents.

“From April 1 to April 16, we recorded 390 disaster cases where 52 people died and 107 were injured. At least 19 houses collapsed, while 731 houses were damaged,” he said.

Rukebanuka noted that the Ministry has identified 522 disaster-prone hotspots across the country, with around 22,000 households — home to nearly 97,000 people — currently at risk, Xinhua news agency reported.

He warned that 117 pieces of infrastructure, 23 public facilities, and more than 25,000 hectares of crops could also be affected by disasters caused by the ongoing heavy rains.

As part of emergency response efforts, he said more than 1,600 households located in high-risk districts, including Rusizi, Rubavu, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rutsiro, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, and Nyaruguru, should be urgently relocated.

Rukebanuka added that so far, 800 families living in high-risk zones have already been relocated and are now receiving shelter.

Since devastating floods and landslides struck the country’s Western Province in May 2023, which claimed more than 100 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and critical infrastructure, Rwanda has been working to strengthen its disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

The government launched emergency housing efforts, completing 904 houses in the immediate aftermath.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency has issued a forecast indicating that April rainfall will surpass levels seen in previous years.

The expected rainfall will range from 100 mm to 350 mm, compared to the usual 100 mm to 300 mm.

The most intense downpours, between 300 mm and 350 mm, are predicted in Rusizi district, the eastern parts of Nyamasheke, the northern areas of Karongi, and the western parts of Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru.

Through the Contingency Emergency Response Component project, 900 homes have already been completed, with another 1,888 currently under construction, according to the Ministry.

–IANS