As climate change intensifies natural disasters across Rwanda, a growing but overlooked consequence is emerging: the rising number of people disabled by floods, landslides, and other extreme weather events.
In April 2025, torrential rains triggered deadly landslides in Nyabihu District, claiming lives and injuring dozens. Among the survivors is Alphonse Rwivanga, a 27-year-old father of two from Bigogwe Sector, who was rescued from the rubble with a fractured pelvis and spinal injury.
“I never imagined waking up to a new life in pain,” she says from a hospital in Rubavu. “Now I rely on others even to stand.”
Rwivanga’s condition may result in permanent disability. She is one of many Rwandans injured during natural disasters who face a long and uncertain recovery without proper medical, psychological, or social support.
Between January and July 2025, Rwanda’s Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) recorded over 65 injuries from climate-related disasters. Yet, the country lacks a system to track which injuries lead to permanent disability.
“People see the dead and displaced,” says Dr. Samuel Habimana, clinical psychologist and Executive Director of Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization (RRGO). “But those who survive with broken bodies and minds are often forgotten. Their pain is invisible.”
Dr. Habimana, who works with trauma survivors, warns that survivors of such disasters often suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, particularly when there is no psychosocial follow-up.
In May 2025, flash floods in Rubavu District displaced hundreds and injured several. Jean Claude Nzabonimana, a 42-year-old mason, broke both legs after being swept into a ravine. Now immobile and out of work, he depends on his teenage son for daily care.
“I used to provide for my family,” he says from a wheelchair. “Now, I haven’t received any government or NGO support.”
Rwanda’s hilly terrain, especially in districts like Rubavu, Nyabihu, and Rutsiro, makes it prone to landslides. In 2023 alone, MINEMA reported over 150 landslide-related incidents. And with climate change accelerating extreme weather, more disasters are expected.
But while Rwanda has strong disability laws, including the 2007 Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities and its commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), implementation remains a challenge in emergency response.
In Eastern Rwanda, drought brings another form of climate-induced disability. In Kayonza and Nyagatare, malnutrition among children has worsened due to prolonged dry spells. Health workers in Nyagatare District Hospital report cases of developmental delays, stunted growth, and weakened immune systems.
“These children may never fully recover,” says Francine Mukankusi, a nutritionist with a local NGO. “Malnutrition during early development can cause lasting physical and cognitive impairments.”
Despite the risks, Rwanda has yet to systematically collect data on people who become disabled during or after disasters. Ernest Rwamanywa, from the Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP), says this gap leaves affected individuals without targeted assistance.
“Without data, there is no planning,” Rwamanywa says. “We can’t stock assistive devices or plan rehabilitation if we don’t know how many people need them.”
Some efforts are underway. The National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), in collaboration with MINEMA and the Ministry of Health, launched a pilot program in Burera and Nyamasheke districts in June 2025 to integrate disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR).
According to Jean Paul Rwibasira, a program officer at NCPD, the initiative involves mapping households with PWDs, training local disaster committees, and creating accessible shelters. “This is just the beginning,” he says. “But we need more resources and national rollout.”
In Musanze, where landslides in 2024 left over 30 injured, only three individuals received long-term rehabilitation. Others were sent home after basic treatment.
Meanwhile, survivors like 19-year-old Clarisse Uwase, who lost her parents and broke an arm in a Nyabihu landslide, continue to battle nightmares and depression. “I get scared when it rains,” she says. “Sometimes I scream in my sleep.”
Dr. Habimana, who oversees her care, says mental health support is often under-prioritized. “Trauma care should be as urgent as food and shelter. Otherwise, we risk losing survivors to lifelong mental illness.”
With Rwanda projected to experience more frequent extreme weather, experts warn that ignoring the disability-climate link will only deepen inequalities.
“Climate resilience means including everyone,” says Nyirahabineza. “And that includes those who survive disasters with changed bodies and broken lives.”
