Key points:
- Four United Methodists died, and about 50 church families in the community lost their homes in the floods in Kinshasa, particularly in the Ngaliema district.
- The floods, which occurred during the dry season, were exacerbated by the blocking of a drainage canal by civil engineers.
- André Otshudi lost four members of his family. The Rev. Stéphane Kitete and others are calling for help to support the survivors.
Four United Methodists are among 29 people who died in devastating floods in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thousands of homes were destroyed, including those belonging to some 50 United Methodist families in the region.
On the night of June 13-14, the city of Kinshasa experienced one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. Torrential rains, falling in the middle of the dry season, turned the streets of the Congolese capital into muddy torrents, sweeping away homes, lives and hopes.
The devastation follows April floods that affect more than 1,000 homes, including those of at least 100 United Methodists, in the Congolese capital. Two local United Methodist churches were also damaged. Also in May, in the eastern part of Congo, five United Methodists were killed, a church was destroyed, and hundreds of families also were affected by floods.
The four United Methodists killed in the June floods were members of the family of André Otshudi, a choir member at Lokole United Methodist Church.
“I lost my wife, my daughter, my mother-in-law and my wife’s brother,” he said.
Andre Okenge is also a member of the church choir and sang with Otshudi’s brother-in-law, Raphael Ayakundu. The men also worked together as motorcycle taxi drivers.
“For me, this situation affects me deeply because with four deaths under his responsibility, it’s really not easy,” Okenge said of Otshudi. “I know his wife and his whole family well. I was even there the day he arrived here in Kinshasa. It’s true that his wife was just a member, like the others, but her husband was a true servant of God at our side. That’s why we are all deeply affected by this tragedy.”
United Methodist Didier Longoyi is among those picking up the pieces after the disaster. “I lost everything; even my house was washed away.”
The survivors, who are staying with relatives or in makeshift shelters, face an uncertain future, he said.
Many of the victims among the 50 United Methodist families lived in the commune of Ngaliema.
“The rain started around 2 a.m. and didn't stop until around 5 a.m. This is the first time we have seen a phenomenon of this magnitude here,” said church member Jean-Pierre Odimba. “The civil engineers working in the area believed that the dry season had already begun, so they blocked the canal that allowed water to flow to a small spring. That is where the tragedy began.”
To help
United Methodists can help in recovery and in supporting people displaced by war in Congo by donating to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s International Disaster Response and Recovery Advance No. 982450.
The Ministry of the Interior announced a provisional death toll of 29 in Kinshasa, including 17 in Ngaliema, two in Lemba, and more than 500 homes damaged in Matete. In some neighborhoods, families are sleeping outside, deprived of shelter and resources.
Several municipalities in the capital, including Ngaliema, Masina, Lemba and Matete, have experienced severe flooding, destroyed homes and damaged roads.
Given the extent of the damage, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Jacquemain Shabani convened a crisis meeting on June 15, attended by Governor Daniel Bumba, the provincial commissioner of the National Police, and the relevant services, in order to coordinate emergency responses.
The governor of Kinshasa promised that the state would take care of the victims and called for national solidarity. He also urged residents of high-risk areas to be cautious, as more rain is forecast in the coming days.
The Rev. Stéphane Kitete of Lokole United Methodist Church, sent a message of compassion to his congregation during Sunday service.
“In these dark hours when pain is piercing our homes and our hearts, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all the families affected by the floods that have ravaged Kinshasa. Our choir members, our brothers and sisters, our neighbors ... no one has been spared.
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“I weep with you, I pray with you, and I stand by your side,” he said. “The trial is great, but our faith, our solidarity, and our brotherly love are even greater. May God grant us strength, comfort and hope. Let us continue to support one another, to heal the visible and invisible wounds and to keep the light shining, even in the midst of the storm.”
Kitete has sent out an appeal for help.
“Our choir members are among those most affected. We need support to organize funerals and help survivors get back on their feet.”
During previous floods, the church distributed food, medicine and supplies thanks to the support of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
“The church’s responsibility is to care for souls but also for bodies,” said Bishop Daniel O. Lunge, resident bishop of the Central Congo Episcopal Area.
Solidarity, compassion and the mobilization of all remain more necessary than ever to heal the wounds of a capital city that is battered but still standing, he said.
Okito is the communications director for the Central Congo Episcopal Area.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digests.
