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FROM THE FIELD

Zambia Red Cross Society assists over 1500 people affected by floods
29 Jan 2008 12:36:00 GMT
 Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland
By James Zulu, Zambia Red Cross Society

Website: Website: http://www.ifrc.org

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Zambia Red Cross Society quickly responded to the plight of over 1500 people affected by floods who have been left homeless after their homes were swept by floods in southern Zambia.
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Zambia Red Cross Society quickly responded to the plight of over 1500 people affected by floods who have been left homeless after their homes were swept by floods in southern Zambia.
James Zulu, Zambia Red Cross Society

Background

•  Southern African floods

•  Floods

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Zambia Red Cross Society quickly responded to the plight of over 1500 people affected by floods who have been left homeless after their homes were swept by floods in southern Zambia. "The Zambia Red Cross Society with the assistance from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies mobilized CHF 70,000 through a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond quickly to many Zambians who have been left homelessly in southern part of Zambia," says Mr. Charles Mushitu, Zambia Red Cross Society Secretary General.

Mushitu added, "Zambia Red Cross Society has also received a total of US$100,000 from Barclays Bank Zambia Plc after a radio appeal and the money was given to us through the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to assist the flood victims in Zambia". So far with this financial assistance received Zambia Red Cross has managed to assist about 1500 affected people in Mazabuka district by constructing 12 latrines, 8 bathing shelters, 4 cooking shelters at four evacuation camps and has distributed 700 blankets, 280 mosquito nets, 100 kitchen sets, 100 jerry cans, 300 x 250mls chlorine, 400 tablets of bathing soap, 200 sachets of washing paste, 400 rolls of toilet paper, 2050 kg of beans, 500 kgs of sardines, 453 lts of cooking oil. Zambia Red Cross have also trained 8 hygiene promoters at evacuation camps, 3 sprayers and distributed disinfectants.

"We have also prepositioned and distributed 750 tarpaulins in the Itezhi Tezhi district, Mumbwa district, Namwala District and Sinazongwe district," said r. Trust Hakulipa, the Disaster Management Coordinator for Zambia Red Cross Society.

Zambia has been experiencing torrential rains since mid December 2007. The rains have mainly concentrated in the southern parts of the country resulting into flooding in the lower river basins and according to the Disaster Management and mitigation unit assessment about 20,000 people have been affected. The flooding is reported to have displaced inhabitants, livestock, and damaged crops and infrastructure (such as roads, bridges and sanitary facilities) which have cut some of the towns like Sinazongwe from the rest of the country.

"The floods this year have come earlier than expected, in 1917 and 1958 we experienced floods in the month of March but this time the floods started in mid December which is unusual and because of this, my Kingdom will have nothing to harvest as over 2000 hectares of maize field have been washed away and all household from Magoye river to Munenga have been affected" said Chief Mwanachigwala of the Tonga People in Mazabuka.

"Ithebe is completely cut off and over 60 people living with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy are stranded." Chief Mwanachigwala added.

"The water came around 2 am when we were sleeping, as I was trying to waken my children who were in another room, the water levels were increasing so fast that by the time we were outside the house, the water levels had increased to waist level and swept all our clothes and household items and that's how we lost everything" narrated Beatrice Moonga of Mukuyu evacuation camp in Chief Mwanachigwala.

The Zambia Red Cross is appealing to well wishers to provide assistance to the society in order to help the affected communities. "We already have volunteers on the ground assisting the affected communities and providing hygiene promotion in southern Province while we are expecting these floods to cover the whole country by March," said Mushitu.

The Zambia Red Cross Society has so far spent over US$ 50,000 to respond to the flood victims in southern part of Zambia.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Topics

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Emergencies

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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A man walks past flood victim at a camp for the internally displaced in Chikwawa district, Malawi January 27, 2008 where six people have so far been killed and over four ...


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Last updated:Tue Jan 29 12:45:22 2008