Thousands displaced as floods hit Burundi

Burundi floods.

A woman walks through a flooded street to her home in Gatumba, western Burundi, on May 19, 2021. PHOTO | MOSES HAVYARIMANA | NMG

Thousands of residents in Bujumbura and Gatumba have fled their homes after their property and houses were flooded due to the rising water levels of Lake Tanganyika and the swelling rivers around the city.

The water level of Lake Tanganyika increased since the beginning of the year, leading to almost 30,000 people displaced, as the government worked to provide land to relocate them.