{{Short description|2023 disaster in Rwanda}}

{{Merge to|2023 African Great Lakes floods|date=February 2024|discuss=Talk:2023 Rwanda floods#Merge proposal to 2023 African Great Lakes floods}}

{{Infobox flood

| name = 2023 Rwanda floods

| image = ECDM 20230510 FL DRC Rwanda (cropped main).jpg

| image_size =

| alt = <!--(short description of image per [[WP:ALT]])-->

| caption = ECDM 20230510 FL DRC Rwanda (cropped main)

| duration = April-May 2023

| date = <!--(alternate to duration, e.g. for a single date)-->

| damages =

| fatalities = 130 individuals as of May 3, 2023

| affected = north-western Rwanda

}}

The '''2023 Rwanda floods''' occurred in April and May 2023. Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in north-western Rwanda, causing the deaths of 130 individuals as of May 3, 2023.

== Flooding and landslides ==

In late April and early May, the Rwanda Metrology Agency predicted rainfall between 50mm and 200mm across the country within the first 10 days of May. In the north-western region, heavy rain ranging from 175mm to 200mm was anticipated.

On the night of May 2, the heavy rain affected [[Ngororero]], Rubavu, [[Nyabihu District|Nyabihu]], [[Rutsiro District|Rutsiro]] and [[Karongi District|Karongi]] Districts, with forecasts indicating that [[Rulindo District|Rurindo]], [[Gakenke District|Gakenke]] and [[Gicumbi District|Gicumbi]] Districts were also likely to experience similarly heavy rains in the following days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Rwanda's devastating floods, landslides deaths rise to 130 |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/rwanda-floods-death-toll-rises-4222646 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=The East African |language=en}}</ref>

Landslides also caused roads to be closed on 2 May.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-03 |title=Death toll from Rwanda flash floods rises to 127 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/3/at-least-55-killed-in-rwanda-flash-floods |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

== Government and humanitarian interventions ==

Rwandan Prime Minister [[Édouard Ngirente|Edouard Ngirente]] attended a burial service in [[Rubavu District]] on May 4, where he said that authorities would "continue to ensure that you [victims] have shelter and basic needs".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Survivor of Rwanda Floods: 'We Struggled to Cling to Anything' |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/survivor-of-rwanda-floods-we-struggled-to-cling-to-anything-nearby-/7079340.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>

The Rwandans responded promptly to a devastating [[Flood|flood disaster]] on 2 and 3 may which resulted in the tragic loss of 115 lives in the west and Northern provinces only. The Government established a command center.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nkurunziza |first=Michel |date=2023-05-04 |title=Rwanda Sets Up Command Centre to Coordinate Flood Disaster Interventions |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202305040024.html |access-date=2024-02-05 |work=The New Times |language=en}}</ref> to coordinate relief efforts<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nkurunziza |first=Michel |date=2023-05-03 |title=Rwanda sets up command centre to coordinate flood disaster interventions |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/7181/news/environment/rwanda-sets-up-command-centre-to-coordinate-flood-disaster-interventions |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=The New Times |language=en}}</ref> by deploying a team of rescue officials from affected provinces The ministry of emergency and Management, The ministry of local government and the police and provided medical treatment for those who were affected , provided food and shelter<ref>{{Cite web |last=Princewill |first=Duarte Mendonca,Nimi |date=2023-05-03 |title=Floods in western Rwanda kill at least 127 people |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/africa/floods-kill-109-rwanda-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The humanitarian organization like [[Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team|HOT]] , through Open Street Map Rwanda supported with tools like FMTM and youth involvement in data collection to facilitate the Districts in future data driven decision making , [[Red Cross|Red Cross Rwanda]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=IFRC GO |url=https://go.ifrc.org/field-reports/16427 |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=go.ifrc.org}}</ref> Organizations provided funds for The rapid response from [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] ,[[World Food Programme|WFP]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Allocation summary {{!}} CERF |url=https://cerf.un.org/what-we-do/allocation/2023/summary/23-RR-RWA-59581 |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=cerf.un.org}}</ref> The emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated $1.5 millions from the [[Central Emergency Response Fund|central emergency response fund]] CFRF to support the government led response <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-08 |title=Rwanda: Floods and Landslides - May 2023 {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2023-000064-rwa |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==

Many flood victims were buried in mass burials.<ref>{{Cite web |title=65 killed as heavy rains trigger floods, landslides |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/8/rwanda-dozens-killed-as-heavy-rains-trigger-floods-landslides |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

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