More than 250 families have been displaced from their homes while several crop fields have been submerged in water following flash floods being experienced in the valley area of Lusangazi District in the Eastern Province, making the affected families homeless and without food.
Agriculture authorities fear several widespread crop damage that may lead to hunger.
Lusangazi District Agriculture Coordinator Friday Sikombe estimates that a total 89 hectares of maize, 53 hectares of soya beans, 15 hectares of sunflower and 12 hectares of groundnut fields have been submerged.
Mr Sikombe also fears that the damage to crops may be more than the current estimate because some of the flooded areas like Chiwale and Chikowa are not being accessed by road as the area has been completely cut.
The DACO who described the current situation where maize, sunflower, soya and groundnuts have been submerged as a big loss to the farming families and has recommended the introduction of crops like rice for the people in the valley area.
He said rice could be a suitable crop for now as it can survived under waterlogged conditions.
Meanwhile, Lusangazi District Commissioner, Goodwin Sekelani Phiri, who inspected the damage to property and crops caused by the flash floods, said there could be more submerged homes in areas that cannot be accessed at the moment.
Mr Phiri has promised that Government will come to the aid of the affected families by providing them with temporal tents and relief food through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
He explained that the relief operation in some parts of Lusangazi might require to be airlifted by helicopter as that is the only mode of transport that can currently reach some parts of the area.
The DC urged people living in the valley areas to consider relocating to the plateau area in order to avoid such occurrences in future.
This is very sad… We hope the families will get the help they need.. may God protect them
We hope the families can be given some help of shelter ….floods are so devastating because they are not planned
Families are in distress because of the floods… May they be helped to find their footing again
very sad reading indeed. Why not encourage them to have two homes. One on the plateau and one in the valley. When its rainy season they would relocate to dryland and go back after the rainy season. in that way, the would maintain their lifecycle without disrupting their livelihood.