Rwanda is set to spend 110 billion Rwandan francs ($98.5 million) to repair destroyed infrastructure following powerful floods and landslides this week, the country's Infrastructure Minister Ernest Nsabimana said, as cited by local media.
According to the minister, the funds were set aside "to ensure that the new infrastructure is strong enough to withstand disasters such as floods and landslides." He added that repair and reconstruction work has already started.
It was noted that over 9,000 people lost their homes as a result of the flooding in the Northern and Western Provinces, where rivers of mud swept through villages, cutting off roads.
The disaster destroyed some 50 schools, as well as critical infrastructure, including bridges, roads, water stations, and electricity grids.
Rwanda's Minister of Local Government Jean Claude Musabyimana emphasized that those who are still in the flood-affected areas should leave their homes and contact the authorities for help.
"We have put in place emergency response teams to provide necessities such as food and bedding," the minister noted, adding: "No one should be staying in disaster-prone areas at the moment."
Neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also witnessed a natural disaster this week. It was reported that over 200 people died after heavy rains and flooding in the eastern South Kivu province. It was hit by heavy rainfall on Thursday, which caused the overflow of rivers and landslides.