Tense survivors waited for food aid on Tuesday in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where floods killed over 400 people a week ago.
Hundreds of bodies have been recovered since Thursday, when torrential rain caused landslides and flash floods in the Kalehe territory of South Kivu province, flattening buildings and sweeping away crops.
Civil society organizations condemned the mass graves dug over the weekend to bury the dead, many of whom were women and children.
More than 8,800 people were killed in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Congolese history, and Red Cross workers have warned of a lack of supplies and equipment to assist them.
The administrator of Kalehe, Thomas Bakenga Zirimwabagabo, reported on Tuesday that 411 bodies had been discovered and that at least 5,525 people were still missing.
Government officials arrived in the area on Monday night with the intention of delivering supplies to the survivors. People staying with friends and family or in public buildings that were spared have resulted in overcrowding.
Government officials have ordered humanitarian workers to halt mass burials until coffins can be brought in.
The floods are the most recent major disaster in Africa to highlight a country’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change due to inadequate urban planning and infrastructure.
Rising temperatures, according to UN climate experts, are increasing the intensity and frequency of Africa’s rains, prompting calls for better response plans.
