Flooding takes its toll in Southern Africa

Coming on top of severe drought, the Southern Africa region has in recent months been subjected to heavy flooding - leaving a major challenge to the way the region manages natural disasters in its wake. A report by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) in Harare, Zimbabwe on Wednesday said the heavy flooding in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia had triggered “the implementation of rescue programmes to help victims.” Tinashe Madava, who compiled the report, told IRIN on Wednesday: “The Southern African region is not really prepared for floods. In the past, disaster management has tended to focus more on drought relief measures. Programmes need to be instituted that will help with flood disaster management.” He added: “There needs to be a concerted effort between governments and private sector to put measures in place that will counter the spread of diseases when flooding occurs.” Mozambique 100,000 affected The report quoted Mozambique’s Technical emergency Commission (CTE) as saying that up to 100,000 people have been affected by floods which have been particularly severe in the central and southern parts of the country. The CTE also estimates that close on 29,700 hectares of crops have been lost due to the flooding. In January, Joao Managa of the National Agricultural Directorate in Mozambique told IRIN there was particular concern for areas of the Gaza province. He said that incessant rain since November had cut off the towns of Massangena and Chigubo. The two towns at the time were classified as “very vulnerable” in food security terms. The report said the authorities in Mozambique had also warned of an upsurge of cholera since the disease first broke out in September last year. It added 11 provinces in Mozambique had been affected by the disease. Inhambane in the south of the country is the only province in which the disease has not taken hold. Angola - erosion concerns The report quoted humanitarian officials in Angola who expressed their concern “that erosion set off by heavy rains was further endangering people in the besieged government-held city of Luena.” Luena is situated about 800km southeast of Luanda and is the capital of Moxico Province. Due to the heavy rains a rift had developed in Luena, severing water supply pipes and threatening to cut electricity supplies to the city which has a population of about 150,000 people. The UN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH) had earlier told IRIN it would have “a very serious impact on the population because they are already accommodating an estimated 40,000 internally displaced people.” An official said: “Worse still, there is no obvious solution to the problem and people cannot leave the city because of the war.” Zimbabwe - above normal rainfall In recent months, Zimbabwe has been receiving above normal rainfall, this has caused many rivers to burst their banks and flood. SARDC says that in some rural areas flood waters have cut people off from shopping centres. It reports recently Lake Chivero burst its banks and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property. It said the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare issued a “cholera alert” after it received reports the disease had reached the capital city, Harare. Large pools of stagnant water and a poor sewerage system are increasing the risk for other diseases such as malaria. Zambia - cholera outbreak Torrential rains in the capital Lusaka and in the Copperbelt region has led to a cholera outbreak. To date cholera-related deaths have been put at 70, SARDC reported One of the main reason being cited for the change in climatic conditions is the La Nina phenomenon. La Nina results in unusually heavy rains in the Southern African regions. The reports said: “La Nina has been a reality, challenging a region so rocked by droughts, to put in place firm measures to deal with floods.”