Caprivi flood situation stable but desperate

THE flood situation in the Caprivi, in which up to 20 000 or more people have been displaced, is beginning to stabilise but remains desperate.

Caprivi Governor Leonard Mwilima yesterday told media that in general, ‘the crisis is over but we are still sustaining the relocated and responding to immediate needs. We are managing the situation but still need more assistance.’Mwilima said the most pressing challenges now have to do with transport. He said a shortage of trucks, also being used for drought relief activities and the relocation of people elsewhere, is hampering the distribution of food aid to relocated communities in the region.’Water transport is also a problem, and there is a serious need for more boats. Most crops could have been rescued if we had a sufficient number of boats,’ he said.Acknowledging the assistance provided by the Red Cross – which has conducted most of the fieldwork in terms of water, health and sanitation work and the distribution of non-food relief items – the Regional Emergency Management Unit, Rotary International, and other organisations, Mwilima said most displaced people have been relocated to camps and may be able to return home by August or September.But with changing climatic conditions, the prospect of recurring floods is real and a long-term solution is urgently needed, says the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Erika Akwenye.Akwenye, who is currently in the region with REMU to assess the situation, said: ‘We can’t always be reacting to situations as they happen. It is important to put systems in place now to avoid the problems we’re facing happening again.’We need policies to be put in place to dictate what to do in cases of flooding. All ministries should have a plan of action for disaster management. For example, education facilities, in such a case should be ready to continue uninterrupted, the Ministry of Health should be ready, transport and logistics, everyone should have a plan.’Proposing the establishment of permanent disaster management and evacuation teams, Akwenye also highlighted the need for setting up permanent water points and sanitary facilities across the region and other affected areas.She also said that the Ministry of Agriculture should help to feed and move cattle to higher ground.’The cattle are really starving. Some are trapped in water, and are just feeding off grass on top of the water, and crocodiles are already feeding on some of them. No matter who the cattle belong to, they need to be assisted.’At the moment, the Kabbe constituency remains the most affected of the Caprivi Region’s six constituencies. Seven of the 27 relocation camps in the region are located in the Kabbe area, and the need for tents, food relief, lighting, firewood, sanitation facilities, and high-protein, high-energy foods, particularly for children, remains pressing.nangula@namibian.com.na