More than 2,500 households in central-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been rendered homeless following severe flooding triggered by the bursting of the Congo River and Ulindi River banks, a local civil society leader reported late Sunday, February 22, 2026.
Heavy, prolonged rainfall across Maniema province in recent days caused both major waterways to overflow, inundating several villages in Punia territory. Jean-Claude Ngoy, head of civil society in Punia, told reporters that the villages of Kasera, Tubila, and Ulindi bore the brunt of the disaster. "At least 2,533 households were affected after their homes were submerged by the waters," Ngoy stated. "We are appealing to the provincial and national authorities as well as to humanitarian actors for support."
The floods submerged homes, destroyed critical infrastructure—including schools, health facilities, and sources of drinking water—and devastated livelihoods. An on-site assessment conducted by a joint team of local authorities, civil society representatives, and community leaders determined that food security is now at immediate risk. Floodwaters washed away food plantations and fish ponds, key sources of sustenance for rural communities already vulnerable to seasonal hunger.
Maniema province, located in the central-eastern DRC, is one of the country's most remote and underdeveloped regions. The Congo River—the second-longest in Africa and a vital artery for transportation, fishing, and agriculture—forms part of the provincial boundary, while the Ulindi River flows through its interior. Both rivers have experienced rising water levels due to intense seasonal rains exacerbated by climate change patterns, including stronger and more unpredictable wet seasons in the Congo Basin.
The affected areas lie within Punia territory, a largely rural zone where most residents depend on subsistence farming, fishing, and small-scale trade. Many homes are constructed from mud bricks, thatch, and wood, offering little resistance to fast-rising floodwaters. Displacement has forced families to seek temporary shelter in higher-ground communities, schools, churches, or with relatives, often in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
The destruction of drinking water sources raises urgent concerns about waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, which frequently surge in the aftermath of flooding in the DRC. Damage to health facilities further limits access to medical care, while ruined schools disrupt education for hundreds of children during a critical academic period.
Ngoy's appeal for assistance highlights the limited capacity of local and provincial authorities to respond effectively. Maniema is among the DRC's least accessible provinces, with poor road networks that become impassable during the rainy season. Humanitarian organizations already stretched thin by multiple crises across the country—including armed conflict in the east, Ebola risks, measles outbreaks, and widespread food insecurity—face logistical challenges in reaching isolated flood-affected zones.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have historically mobilized rapid-response teams for similar flood events in the DRC. However, funding shortfalls for the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan have constrained prepositioned supplies and emergency interventions.
This latest flooding adds to a growing pattern of climate-related disasters in the Congo Basin. The region, home to the world's second-largest tropical rainforest, is highly sensitive to shifts in rainfall patterns linked to global warming. In recent years, both excessive rains causing floods and prolonged dry spells leading to drought have intensified, affecting agriculture, fisheries, and river navigation.
In 2025 alone, floods in provinces including Equateur, Tshopo, and Mongala displaced tens of thousands and destroyed thousands of hectares of crops. The cumulative impact has deepened chronic food insecurity, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projecting that parts of Maniema and neighboring provinces could face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels in the coming months if assistance is not scaled up.
Local leaders and affected residents are calling for immediate distributions of food, clean water, temporary shelter materials, hygiene kits, and medical supplies. Longer-term needs include reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, rehabilitation of water points, and support for replanting lost crops to avert prolonged hunger.
The provincial government of Maniema has acknowledged the crisis and indicated it is coordinating with Kinshasa to mobilize resources, though no specific aid commitments had been announced as of Monday. National authorities face competing priorities amid ongoing security challenges in North Kivu, Ituri, and other eastern provinces, as well as macroeconomic pressures including inflation and currency depreciation.
As the waters slowly recede, attention turns to preventing secondary disasters—disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and further displacement—while supporting recovery for thousands of families whose homes, fields, and futures have been swept away. The Punia floods serve as a stark reminder of the DRC's acute vulnerability to climate extremes and the urgent need for scaled-up resilience investments in one of Africa's most flood-prone river basins.
