Femco closing, but situation still critical

WITH many thousands of northern residents still struggling with the aftermath of heavy floods, the Flood Emergency Management Co-ordination Office (FEMCO) will officially close its doors on April 30, its head said last week.

Erastus Negonga, FEMCO Co-ordinator, said more than 642 000 people in the four north-central regions (Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshikoto) remain affected in the aftermath of the flooding earlier in the year, with more than 81 000 people in critical need of food aid. According to Negonga, water levels in the central north have reached manageable levels and most villages and settlements are now accessible by road, though some of the major roads are still damaged. People in critical need of food aid are largely to be found in rural areas and relocation centres, he said. Negonga said Regional Emergency Management Units will continue with the co-ordination of flood relief programmes, as well as implementing intervention initiatives for the flood affected. He added that various stakeholders will be meeting at Oshakati this Wednesday to discuss an emergency master plan aimed at negating the effects of future floods in the North. Flood Facts• 642 279 people in the North remain flood affected• 81 829 people in critical need of food • 13 295 people remain displaced• 96 825 pupils remain affected• 21 354 malaria cases reported in the aftermath of the floods• 36 malaria deaths have been recorded• More than 100 people have drowned• 20 319 mahangu farmers have lost their entire crop• 1 422 cattle, 455 donkeys, 7 939 goats and 89 sheep died in the floods (source: Flood Emergency Management Co-ordination Office)