The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has evacuated 54 flood victims from Kamwala area in Lumezi District, Eastern Province, following flooding of the Lundazi River which occurred five days ago.
The affected individuals had been stranded across the river where they were conducting agricultural activities and could not cross back to their permanent homes due to high water levels.
The evacuation exercise was conducted with the support of the Zambia Air Force, whose aircraft made four sorties to ferry the victims and their personal belongings to Chiweza area in Kazembe Ward.
Confirming the development, DMMU Senior Communications Officer Mathews Musukwa said the operation was undertaken to protect lives.
“The affected people were marooned by rising water levels of the Lundazi River, making it unsafe for them to cross back to their homes,” Mr Musukwa said.
Meanwhile, floods have left 127 households homeless after their houses collapsed due to continuous heavy rainfall experienced in the area.
The displaced households are currently camped at Kazembe Primary School where DMMU, in collaboration with cooperating partners, is providing food and non-food relief items. Other affected families in villages such as Chimalilo, Saili and Bodola are being accommodated in temporary shelters within their respective communities.
Mr Musukwa said DMMU has commenced the distribution of relief supplies to the affected families.
“We have started distributing food and essential non-food items as part of the government’s immediate response, while further assessments are ongoing,” he said.
He further disclosed that a local businessman from Lundazi District, Mr Aliboo, has donated 100 by 25-kilogramme bags of mealie meal towards relief efforts for flood victims in Lumezi District.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the flooding originated upstream in Lundazi District where some critical infrastructure has been damaged.
Downstream, the floods have resulted in the collapse of houses, destruction of crop fields and heavy siltation, with some farmlands buried under sand.
DMMU says it continues to monitor the situation and is working closely with line ministries, the Zambia Air Force and cooperating partners to ensure the safety and welfare of affected communities.
