Disasters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Broadly relevant hazards include seasonal flooding, heavy rainfall and erosion. Droughts, storms, major fires and technological events occur with differing regional patterns. In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira create particular volcanic hazards. Climate change may increase the intensity and frequency of several hazards; conflict, displacement and weak transport, water and health infrastructure intensify their consequences. Epidemics concern this topic only at the boundary of the health sector and must not generally be classified as natural disasters. The state structure includes civil protection (Protection civile), the National Civil Protection Council (Conseil de la protection civile) and the General Directorate of Civil Protection (Direction Générale de la Protection Civile). Primary responsibility lies with the Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Customary Affairs (Ministère de l’Intérieur, Sécurité, Décentralisation et Affaires Coutumières), as well as national, provincial and local authorities. Sectoral ministries and international organizations support rescue operations, accommodation, water, sanitation, logistics and humanitarian assistance, but they do not replace state responsibility. Decree No. 24/01 of 12 February 2024 organizes civil protection. The national disaster-risk-management policy was confirmed in September 2025; Decrees Nos. 38 and 39 of November 2025 strengthen the institutional structure. Practical implementation and coordination are still being developed. The Early Warnings for All programme (Alerte précoce pour tous), known internationally as Early Warnings for All, started in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 28 January 2026. It is intended to create a nationwide, inclusive warning system for multiple hazards. A roadmap and a coordination mechanism are being developed, but existing warning systems remain fragmented. There is still no reliably documented nationwide real-time coverage. Depending on the location, information from local authorities, media and humanitarian partners must therefore be compared. During an event, reporting and coordination take place through local or provincial authorities and civil protection. A uniform nationwide public emergency number, standardized evacuation deadlines, fixed evacuation routes or a general benefits and fee rule have not been documented. When warned, people should leave the affected hazard zone according to local instructions and determine in advance where shelter, water, medical assistance and transport can be reached. In Goma and the surrounding area, location-specific volcanic monitoring and evacuation information is particularly important. Recovery is supported, among other things, by the World Bank’s active DRC Urban Flood Resilience Project. Project P508410 includes a commitment of 200 million US dollars and runs from 21 May 2025 to 30 June 2030. It focuses on Kinshasa and Kalemie, including disaster-protection capacity, drainage, erosion and riverbank protection, roads, canals, critical infrastructure and post-disaster recovery. The target area includes approximately three million people; this does not establish a nationwide infrastructure standard. Financing remains strained. A 2026 diagnostic on disaster-risk financing estimates the average annual emergency need for floods and epidemics at approximately 62 million US dollars, while the state provides about 3.5 million US dollars for this purpose. A severe flood event can cause costs of approximately 389 million US dollars; the estimated probability of annual budget exhaustion is 61 percent. These figures are a combined financial benchmark and do not constitute a commitment to provide individual compensation or assistance. Formal institutions exist, but their practical capacity and accessibility vary greatly by region; a uniform nationwide citizen platform, warning app, evacuation database or compensation rule has not been documented.