Torrential rain causes death of man and destruction of fields

A man was killed and fields were devastated following torrential rain which fell on the town of Musienene and its surroundings in Lubero on Wednesday November 26.

According to Vianey Kitswamba, the president of the local protection committee in the Musienene health zone, a man was swept away by the flooded waters of the Biena River, whose body has not yet been found.

Furthermore, a source of drinking water was swallowed up by a mass of earth, several fields were devastated by erosion, crops and animals were swept away.

This destruction exposes the population to the risk of poverty, believes Vianey Kitswamba:

“The damage is enormous because of this torrential rain. The absence of a water source causes water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid fever and malaria. As the rain came suddenly, food items became very scarce in the market. We believe that the fields were affected by erosion, the goats were washed away by the waters following the overflowing of the rivers. The population, which mainly lives from agriculture and livestock, is therefore faced with increased poverty. We also have a water source that has been rehabilitated, but today it is affected by great erosion. We appeal to people of good will to help, especially for the reconstruction of the source.”