As heavy downpour left more than 100 people dead and property destroyed, the Rwandan Government embarked on emergency relief efforts to support the victims, Rwandan Prime Minister, Edouard Ngirente, said on Friday.
“The government has intensified efforts to help people with emergencies and evacuate vulnerable communities from disaster risks.
“The government continues to provide basic assistance to the population of various areas across the country affected by disasters resulting from heavy rains”, Ngirente said.
According to him, from the beginning of this year, the government has provided iron roofing worth over 164,930 dollars and 233,943 dollars of basic utensils.
He noted that the government had strengthened efforts to cope with the impacts of the worst rains and floods that hit the country in the past few years and to find long-term solutions to the disasters.
Early this week, Ngirente together with several Rwanda cabinet members and other government officials, visited areas most hit by rainfall disasters.
The affected areas are in the districts of Karongi, Rutsiro, Rubavu, Ngororero, Nyabihu in the Western Province as well as Gakenke and Burera districts in Northern Province.
According to figures from the Rwandan Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, at least 183 people were killed and 215 others injured in Rwanda by heavy rains in the first four months of 2018.
Disasters damaged 4,560 hectares of crops and destroyed 9,974 houses, 58 roads, seven churches, 42 bridges and 705 livestock lost their lives to disasters, according to the ministry.
