The Office of the Vice President, through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), has engaged the Zambia Air Force to evacuate households that were displaced as a result of flash floods in Lumezi district of Eastern province.
A total of 116 households have been left homeless following heavy rains being experienced in the area.
DMMU National Coordinator, Chanda Kabwe says government is saddened by the number of households affected by the flash floods in most parts of the country.
A number of districts have suffered loss resulting from the floods, including Mambwe, Lumezi, Mpulungu, Kasama/Chilubula, Chilubi, Mushindano, Gwembe, Monze, Mitete, Chama, Lusaka and Samfya districts.
Mr. Kabwe says his Office is engaging the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Water Development and the Engineering Institute of Zambia, to come up with long term measures of preventing the floods.
He added that DMMU, working with the Zambia Meteorological Department, will continue issuing weather forecast alerts to ensure communities at risk are better prepared.
He has further assured that DMMU will continue responding to the affected communities to ensure no lives are lost.
Mr. Kabwe has also cautioned members of the public to avoid settling in flood prone areas and blocking drainages to prevent the effects of floods. The public is further urged to report any such cases to DMMU by calling the toll free number, 909.
Working government for sure. Pf the only party to put zambian people first. One Zambia one nation
Effects of climate change.
Easterners please tell me, is this the wettest season we hv had in your part of the country? We used to hv more rain in the past and wasn’t flooding as far as I recall. What’s going on? Hv people settled in wht should be the path of flood water due to population increase?
The creation of Mambwe district was arrived at without proper research in terms of rain patten vis-as -vis Bio diversity supporting animals in Malambo region. The decision of the district permitted human settlement in areas that was a preserve for animals so much that in the past heavy rain patterns flooding the area could not attract any attention – it was a Game Reserve or Game Management area where animals roamed amd lived.
These are some of demerits of the recently created districts. Most of the newly created districts lack basic fundamental meritorious factors in citing districts. Above all at the moment Zambia has got resources to develop all these districts with sufficient infrastructure fitting a district.
Its a tragedy case of populist, cheap and political expediency…
than serving Zambian people with well thought town planning and managing our natural resources more effectively.