EC grant to assist Caprivi flood victims

The European Commission (EC) on Tuesday granted US $112,000 to assist flood victims in the Caprivi region of north-eastern Namibia. On 12 May 2003, floods caused by the Zambezi River bursting its banks submerged 22 villages in the Kabbe constituency of the Caprivi region, some 1,400 km north-east of the capital, Windhoek. The floods were thought to be the worst in 21 years. The EC said the donation would be channelled through the International Federation of the Red Cross. The funds are expected to support humanitarian programmes providing essential medicines, water and emergency relief items to 12,000 people in 22 villages affected by the flooding. In its latest update, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that the water had started subsiding, but authorities estimate it could take six months for the water to recede to normal levels. Meanwhile, the Federation has reported that the situation of the affected population remained "precarious, as the area is in fact prone to drought, floods and suffers from chronic food insecurity." Risk of the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as malaria, cholera and diarrhoea remained high. Caprivi is one of the less-developed regions of the country, with high poverty rates and a 43 percent HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.