OCHA Situation Report
Zimbabwe Floods
18 December 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

Approximately 600 households (3,000 individuals), displaced / affected 
as at 18 December 2007.

Humanitarian assistance from the Government and humanitarian community 
has started reaching the people.

Civil Protection Unit gives OCHA go ahead to initiate inter-agency 
assessment, if needed.


SITUATION

The six-year old child who suffered a fractured arm from a collapsing 
hut has been airlifted to Harare for treatment.

As reported before, the extent of the flood damage known so far 
includes;

- 210 households (1,260 individuals), displaced / affected.

- An unspecified number of people who are marooned in the Gunduza area 
within the same flooded area. The people are not easily accessible.

- Two major bridges leading to the area have been swept away by flood 
waters.

- A total of 400 huts were destroyed by surging in flood waters and 
eventually washed away.

- The affected people also lost food rations they had received from 
Christian Care/WFP vulnerable group feeding (VGF) on 12 December 2007, a 
day before the floods.

- Other losses witnessed were; 28 goats, 2 cattle and 225 chickens, 
which drowned.

The Meteorological Services Department forecasts that they will be more 
rains that could amount to 50-80mm experienced across the country in the 
next 72 hours. The rainfall amounts are feared to even escalate to 150mm 
during this short period. As the ground is already almost saturated in 
most areas of the country, the floods may affect more areas and people.

Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) assessed the causative factors 
for the Chadereka area. The community is located close to the confluence 
of two rivers called Hoya and Nzou-Mvunda.  Due to excessive rain, 
Nzou-Mvunda failed to discharge all water into Hoya River thereby 
throwing back the water that is the flood. The flood is not the usual 
back flows from Cabora Basa Dam in Mozambique, which normally affect 
Muzarabani (Zambezi Valley) from late January to February annually. 
Authorities in Mozambique confirm that the Cabora Basa Dam is still low 
on water levels enough to absorb more river discharge.

The flood affected area is a vast expanse of flat area. In the event of 
the flood waters continuing to rise, there is not enough high ground, 
where people may temporarily relocate.

There is a serious transport challenge to reach the affected area. Road 
access is extremely difficult. Helicopters available from government 
have limited carrying capacity. They cannot carry big quantities of 
relief items and the harsh weather conditions further limit their 
reliability.

The CPU warns that the floods have a high likelihood of affecting more 
people and areas for extended periods than experienced before.

NEEDS

The top priority needs for the affected communities are:
- Tents, plastic sheeting
- Prepared food (ready to eat)
- Blankets
- Cooking utensils
- Water treatment kits
- Medicines
- Transport
- Search and rescue capacity for the marooned communities


No joint needs assessment has been done yet to determine specific 
numbers of people in need and the appropriate type and quantities of 
assistance to be delivered.

RESPONSE

Limited amounts of relief have been delivered to the affected families 
by the government and the Red Cross as follows;

The GoZ:
- 20 tons mealie meal
- 30 dozen bread
- 45 blankets
- 5 pieces of tent
- 200 litres diesel
- 1 Four-Wheel-Drive vehicle

The Red Cross, today (15/12/07) dispatched;
- 100 blankets
- 50 tarpaulins
- 50 kitchen sets
- 82 jerry cans of drinking water
- 53 tablets of soap
- 5,000 water maker sachets


World Food Programme and Christian Care response

- WFP and Christian Care are working closely to assess additional food 
requirements and organize dispatch of required additional food 
commodities to the affected site;

- On 17 December, WFP sent a field monitor to join Christian Care staff 
in location for information gathering, assessment, coordination and 
monitoring;

- On 17 December, WFP & Christian Care attended the Civil Protection 
Unit meeting in Harare, which provided a preliminary indication of the 
number of affected households (600 HH) and informed of food commodities 
request (20Mt mealie-meal, 10Mt dried fish, 5Mt salt, 10Mt soya-based 
flour).  Food requirements to be verified by a field assessment.

- On 18 Dec, WFP sent a Vulnerability Assessment officer to join the 
above team to support the assessment of extent of the damage and specify 
the food requirements for those affected by the disaster;

- WFP & Christian Care will participate in the 19 December (10:00 a.m) 
meeting in Centenary at the District Administrator's office. See below 
info received from field radio communication.

- WFP will continue to work closely with and inform the OCHA focal point 
and has a standby team available to join in a coordinated joint 
assessment with UN agencies, Government and NGO partners.

WFP latest field update on 18/12/07 (radio communication)

- WFP & Christian Care at field level were informed by the DA/CPU that 
they request partners not to engage in individual assessments in the 
area and have requested agencies to meet in Centenary at the DA's office 
- 19 December, at 10:00 a.m.

- 3 deaths reported;

- DA/CPU are urgently looking for water bowsers as several Blair toilets 
were washed away reportedly contaminating water sources - drinking water 
needs reported;

OCHA and CPU are developing a matrix of the assistance offered and what 
more organizations can give so far.

The CPU Director gave OCHA the go ahead to initiate a rapid inter-agency 
assessment working with CPU and the District Administrator for 
Centenary.

While preparations for the rapid assessment are underway, the CPU 
Director also requested those NGOs and UN agencies like Christian Care, 
Red Cross, WFP and IOM with ongoing relief programmes in the flood 
affected area to make quick assessments and deliver assistance as soon 
as possible and based on information gathered by the government.

The Humanitarian Coordinator convened of UN humanitarian agencies on 18 
December and put them on alert.

RECOMMENDATION

CPU to issue a nationwide flood alert as more people may be affected in 
other flood prone areas like, Tsholotsho, Shashe/Limpopo and Save 
valleys.

OCHA to keep monitoring the situation and update the HC and the 
humanitarian community.

OCHA to expedite the rapid needs assessment.

CONTACTS

Muktar Farah, OCHA Head a.i. Phone: +26311617732 / 792681-6 ext. 346 
Email: muktar@un.org or Clever Maputseni, Information Officer, Phone: 
+26311617734 / 792681-6 ext. 355 Email: maputseni@un.org

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