James Zulu, Zambia Red Cross Society
Zambia Red Cross Society responded to the plight of over 1,500 people left homeless by the floods in southern Zambia. “The Zambia Red Cross Society, with the assistance of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, released 70,000 Swiss francs through the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund,” says Mr. Charles Mushitu, Zambia Red Cross Society Secretary General.
Mushitu added, “Zambia Red Cross Society has also received a total of 100,000 US dollars 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, Zambia Red Cross Society has managed to assist about 1,500 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 Mr 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 an assessment by the disaster management and mitigation unit, about 20,000 people have been affected. The flooding is reported to have displaced inhabitants, livestock, and has 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 2,000 hectares of maize field have been washed away and all households 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 2am 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 50,000 US dollars in responding to the floods in southern Zambia.