- 100 families displaced and walk seven kilometres to higher ground
- Binga District Administrator deploys reaction teams
- Plans underway to erect tents as a temporary shelter
UNITED Nations(UN) has moved in to intervene with the assistance of at least 100 families who were displaced by the floods that hit Binga in Matebeleland this week.
On February 10, the Nsungwale,Sinakoma wards located at the confluence of four rivers were affected by the floods leaving one person dead.
Through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM),the UN will complement government intervention efforts by setting up temporary camps to accommodate the Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs).
“Plans are underway to set up the emergency shelter for the 100 affected families and provide food items for the affected households,” read a Situation Report paper released Tuesday by IOM UN’s Project Developer/ Program support Migration and Development Unit Karina Campagnoli.
“Immediate needs include erection of tents, tarpaulins for emergency shelter, food items, building materials for shelter reconstruction, fuel, polythene, jerrycans, psychological and medical support, and temporary latrine,” further stated the report.
Meanwhile, by late Tuesday night, rescue efforts continued, with much efforts biased towards evacuating marooned villagers.
“From the latest report that I got from the District Government Coordinator, there is one fatality, an old man who got swept away. That is the only fatality I know of. But as of now, those who were marooned have since been rescued,” Civil Protection Unit (CPU) Director Nathan Nkomo said.
Added Nkomo:
“Initially when they (team on the ground) did their rapid assessment, they had estimated the figure to be 100 but when he spoke to me, he told me that the exact number is 34. That is the number of affected families. But we still think it might be 100 because they have not done a thorough assessment.”
