admin
President Mugabe has declared the flooding that is threatening more than 60,000 people downstream of Tokwe-Murkosi Dam in Masvingo a state of disaster. This enables government to mobilise more resources to assist the affected families, the majority of whom should be evacuated.
Most families are in urgent need of food and shelter after their belongings were swept away by the floods. Some of the families heeded the government’s call to move to higher ground but others have since been marooned by the floods and will have to be airlifted.
Government has already disbursed cash to the Air Force of Zimbabwe to enable it to airlift the marooned villagers. Water levels at Tokwe-Murkosi Dam are rising rapidly hence the urgent need to evacuate 20,000 people in the basin and another 40,000 people downstream.
The provincial protection unit with the assistance of the Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Army has already started moving people to safe areas using both helicopters and trucks. Those marooned by floods are being airlifted while in areas still accessible, people are being moved by trucks. Heavy incessant rains are set to continue and there is therefore urgent need to quickly evacuate all the people in affected areas.
The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Dr Ignatius Chombo said communities downstream of Tokwe-Murkosi Dam along the Tokwe River and its tributaries were at risk. He said families in the said areas should immediately move to at least five kilometres from the river bank and seek higher ground.
There are already reports of a humanitarian crisis as government battles to evacuate 2,200 families whose homes are submerged in water. Hundreds of families are reportedly sleeping in the open at three transit camps ahead of relocation to Nuanetsi Ranch. Most families are without food and there is therefore urgent need for government to provide food and other requirements such as clothes and blankets.
It is a fact that government alone cannot mobilise the required resources to address the challenges brought about by floods which have not only affected Masvingo province but Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central as well.
We therefore want to appeal to non- governmental organisations and the private sector to complement government efforts to assist the affected families. The families apart from food, clothes and blankets, also need tents to provide temporary shelter.
Individuals with resources such as vehicles could also assist in moving the people to safe places before the situation gets worse.
We want to applaud the government for its quick response to distress calls from Masvingo and other affected areas as well as members of the CPU at national, provincial and district level for working round the clock to ensure affected people are moved to safety.
Some of the families being affected by the flooding from Tokwe-Murkosi Dam are reported to have resisted being relocated to Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi. The nation should therefore draw a lesson from the experiences of the families being affected by flooding caused by the rising water levels at Tokwe-Murkosi Dam.
The humanitarian crisis being faced today could have been avoided had the families heeded calls by the government to relocate to Nuanetsi Ranch. We want to once again appeal to NGOs and the private sector to assist government in mobilising resources so that the affected families can be moved quickly to safe areas before loss of lives.
Online Reporter