Up to 17,000 people have been affected by floods after torrential rains hit Orientale province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), according to a statement from the UN humanitarian agency OCHA."Although there is no precise estimate at the moment, we believe that 20 percent of the 85,000 people who live in the concerned region will be affected, that is about 17,000 people spread in 3,400 households,” OCHA said in a statement obtained here on Thursday.The floods have already caused the displacement of local people, house and plantation damage, water pollution and health risks like cholera and malaria.Humanitarian workers in Dungu in the province have developed an assistance plan for urgent needs of the victims.