Kigali, 6 May 2023 - The Government of Rwanda has intensified its response to the floods and landslides caused by heavy rains that occurred during the night of 2-3 May 2023, causing significant damage and loss of life in different parts of Western, Northern, and Southern Provinces. The disasters claimed the lives of 131 people, injured several others, and damaged public infrastructure.

President Kagame expressed his solidarity with those affected and his deepest condolences to the families of the victims. He reassured the residents of the affected districts that the government was making every effort to ensure their safety and well-being.

At a press conference on Saturday, Ministers in charge of Emergency, Infrastructure, Local Government, and the National Police spokesperson stated that dedicated teams were on site, providing the necessary assistance to affected residents as the government worked on long-term solutions.

The government has provided a decent burial to the 131 victims of the slides and distributed relief support to affected residents. It has also been working on evacuating and temporarily relocating residents from affected and high-risk areas as rains continue.

Furthermore, the Government will mobilize over Rwf110 billion to rebuild public infrastructure affected by the floods and landslides, Minister Dr. Ernest Nsabimana of Infrastructure said. These include Rwf41 billion for the affected national roads and Rwf38 billion for damaged bridges.

The Government has opened official channels for individuals willing to support the ongoing disaster response activities.   

Learn more about the Government response here.