Thousands Still in Flood Camps

Jana-Mari Smith

20 May 2011

A total of 37 000 people had to be moved to temporary shelters during Namibia’s flood season this year, with close to 18 000 people still remaining at flood relocation centres.

Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) staff and other stakeholders say the challenge now is to prevent disease outbreaks in the camps.

Kingsley Kwenani, head of disaster management for local Red Cross, said yesterday that aside from a number of cases of diarrhoea and malaria, the health status in general in the relocation centres remains good.

Kwenani warned that a major focus right now is “hygiene promotion in all of the camps”.

Kwenani said the prime goal is to entrench strict hygiene codes so that the displaced people do not risk becoming infected with cholera, an outbreak of which has been raging across the border in Angola for the past two months.

In a World Health Organisation (WHO) press release in early May, it was stated that “according to preliminary data that WHO helped compile and analyse, at present 17 000 diarrhoea cases have been reported between January to April 2011” in several regions in the north, compared to “24 000 during the same period in 2010”.

Frans Kapofi, chairperson of the Disaster Risk Management Committee in the Office of the Prime Minister, said yesterday that the centres are not struggling with food issues, but rather with “sanitation problems”. Kapofi confirmed however that all issues are being ironed out as quickly as possible.

Dorkas Kapembe-Haiduwa, executive secretary of the NRCS, said at a meeting yesterday between NGOs and government flood assistance departments, it was established that 17 555 people are being housed in flood relocation centres at the moment.

In the Caprivi, 10 954 people are staying in relocation centres; 1 423 in Omusati; 2 760 in Oshana; 833 in Ohangwena, 557 in Oshikoto and 1 028 in Kavango.

According to Kwenani, a total of 37 000 people were relocated to temporary shelters in the past year, but many have been able to return to their homes. The 18 000 left are those whose homes were destroyed or are still submerged by floodwater.

Kapofi estimated yesterday that to date Namibia has received N$7 million in donations to help with flood-related expenses. In addition, Government has made available N$30 million to date, he said.

“So far we cannot complain. There have also been donations in kind which complements the amount of money that is available. So far, it is not bad,” he said.

The future for many in the northern parts of Namibia remains murky, Kapofi warned.

“What is likely to be a problem in the future are the after-effects of the floods, the post-flood situation”.

He said many thousands of people will be adversely affected by failed and damaged crops. Kapofi said he roughly estimates that around 180 000 people have been “directly” affected by the floods, including the 18 000 still living in relocation centres.

Kwenani said regional councils and the disaster management teams should be praised for being better prepared than in the previous four years.

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