Currently, 22 districts across Zambia are underwater due to climate change-induced flooding caused by above-average rains.

A recent report by the Zambia Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) projected that 78 districts in all the 10 provinces in Zambia are at a high risk of flooding even as the rains continue to fall, and rivers burst their banks.

In six districts where CARE works, there have been continuous rains that have led to flash floods.

Hundreds of hectares of planted fields and grazing lands are underwater.

Homes have been submerged as roads and bridges have been washed away, cutting off access by road to the affected communities.

At the same time, hundreds of children are unable to get to school due to rising flood waters.

Chikwe Mbweeda, CARE International in Zambia Country Director, said, “We are particularly concerned about the impact this will have on women and girls who end up being affected the most. The climate crisis has directly affected at least 1.5 million people – including an estimated 821,000 children. The current situation in Zambia will push the country back despite some of the strides that had been made. We need all the backing we can get to continue supporting those affected by the floods to get back on their feet.”

At the same time, the threat of waterborne diseases is looming as a cholera outbreak has already claimed the life of one person and several other cases are being investigated by the Ministry of Health in the Eastern Province. There has also been a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the country.

Dr. Gabriel Pollen, the DMMU National Coordinator said, “To immediately address this disaster, we need US$33 million to reach the more than 171,200 people affected across the districts touched by the floods. The primary focus will be relocating displaced households to temporary camps being set up and provision of foodstuffs and non-food items in the affected districts. Another US$8.5 million will be required for post-flooding and disaster recovery.”

Zambia is one of the most underreported crises in the world.

With more than half of the population living on less than $1.90 a day, poverty has negatively impacted the country even before the onset of the triple threat.

The malnutrition rate is high, with 48% of the people unable to meet their daily nutrition needs and one-third of the children being stunted, as reported by the World Food Program.

The new crisis occasioned by the floods risks being disastrous for the advancement of the country.

CARE Zambia has pre-positioned non-food items and cash in three districts in the Southern Province to support more than 2,700 individuals to help them address the immediate negative impacts of the floods.

We continue to coordinate with other NGOs and the humanitarian cluster system. In addition, CARE is actively coordinating with the government as well as local and International NGOs to support ongoing relief efforts.

President Hakainde Hichilema says the government will review the flood situation in the country and declare some areas as disasters.

President Hichilema says the government is concerned with the plight of the people and is doing everything possible to ensure that all displaced people are taken care of.

The President says he has since directed the security wings including the Zambia Army, Zambia National Service, and the police to be available 24/7 to ensure that the needs of flood victims are attended to in the shortest possible time.

The President was speaking today at Bweengwa School when he met traditional leaders and members of parliament who briefed him of the severity of the flood situation.

He also called for teamwork among the local authority, civic leaders, District and provincial administrations in addressing the needs of the affected families in Monze District.

“As commander-in- Chief I have commanded the Zambia Army, the Police, Zambia National Service to be available 24/7 to attend to the needs of flood victims as well as work on the damaged critical infrastructure across the country,” said President Hichilema.

“I have come here to console you over the tragedy that befell you and to tell you that your concerns are the concerns of the government, and this is why we are working around the clock to ensure that your challenges are addressed,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Hichilema says the government will table a policy before parliament that would change the design of bridges and roads to ensure that from now onwards the country starts to build road infrastructure that would withstand the flow of water and stand the test of time.

“This country was poorly managed because the roads and bridges were below par, and this is why most of them have collapsed and severely damaged. I have since tasked my colleagues at Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), state house and others to ensure that we bring to the table a policy that will change the design of bridges and roads to make them all weather road infrastructure,” said President Hichilema.

The President who was given a thunderous welcome by Bweengwa residents also thanked the DMMU for working tirelessly to ameliorate the suffering of the flood victims in the district.

President Hichilema further reiterated the government’s commitment to work and complete the Monze-Niko Road to ease the movement of people and goods between the two districts and enhance economic activities.

Chief Hamusonde thanked President Hichilema despite having a busy schedule for touring the area to appreciate the flood situation in the area further thanking the Head of state for prompt response to the aid of the flood victims.

Briefing the Head of State, Bweengwa Member of Parliament Michelo Kasauta said the people in the area would need relief food until April next year as over 4,000 people lost their homes, crops and livestock, and while more than 3,000 hectares of field crops were washed away.

He thanked the President for increasing the disaster funds under the CDF saying the funds have so far been used to buy 1500 bags of mealie meal, cooking oil, soya chunks among other items to help the flood victims.

“I want to thank Mr. President for increasing the disaster funds under the CDF as this has enabled us to buy food and other items for the affected families before DMMU came into full swing,” said Mr. Kasauta.

Moomba Area Member of Parliament, Fred Chaatila said about 500 households have had their maize crops washed away in his area and called on the Head of State to request the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to approve the sale of maize to farmers whose crops have been washed away in the area.

DMMU National Coordinator, Gabriel Pollen says the DMMU has worked closely with the traditional leaders in the affected chiefdoms and formed community-based disaster risk management to help the communities with basic needs and help them on the road to recovery.

Renowned publisher and political analyst Ibbo Mandaza says the recent assumption of the SADC Troika chairmanship by Zambian leader and Zimbabwe opposition ally Hakainde Hichilema will not result in any major shift in how the regional body has played its hand on Zimbabwe’s disputed elections.

Zimbabwe heads for high stakes elections later this year with hopes of any poll based reforms long demanded by the opposition fading by the day.

The Zanu PF led administration, according to opponents, has instead been cherry-picking and rehabilitating laws that favour the ruling party’s ambitions to retain power.

In the wake of disputed polls marred by violence, Zimbabweans have often looked up to SADC to use its own statutes to police its delinquent member country.

Article 4 of the 1992 Windhoek Treaty states that “human rights, democracy, and the rule of law” are principles that guide the actions of its members.

Similarly, Article 5 commits member states to “consolidate, defend, and maintain democracy, peace, security, and stability” in the region.

Last weekend, regional leaders convened in Windhoek, Namibia, for the SADC extraordinary Troika Summit, which addresses regional security crises.

The crises in Mozambique and the Kingdom of Eswatini were on the agenda, but Zimbabwe’s electoral agenda was not.

Mr. Hichilema, who spent many years in opposition politics, stepped in for the first time since becoming Zambian leader, to assume chairmanship of the revolving post of SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation.

This fueled renewed optimism among some Zimbabweans that SADC could change its softly approach towards Zimbabwe and revisit the implementation of electoral reforms recommended by local and international bodies in the post-2018 election period.

In an interview, Mandaza said the coming in of the Zambian leader will not result in any shift from SADC’s lukewarm policy towards the cycle Zimbabwe’s contested elections.

He said SADC is “historically and politically constrained from playing the kind of role especially that of an interventionist kind in the affairs of a fellow member state that is expected of it”.

“It is essentially an interstate organization, and therefore statist in orientation, almost impervious to and unable to deal with crises,” he said.

“Therefore, it’s unlikely that Hakainde Hichilema will dare act beyond the usual that has been expected of a member of SADC ever since its inception in April 1980. It would be good if he surprised us though.”

Israel’s ambassador to Zambia was mugged on a street in Lusaka last week, with the robbers making off with her diplomatic passport and her cellphone.

Ambassador Ofra Farhi was crossing a street in Lusaka on Friday when a car pulled up alongside her and the occupants grabbed her bag, dragging her off her feet and causing her minor injuries.

Some cash was also in her bag.

Her bodyguards, who were with her at the time, did not manage to prevent the crime.

Farhi was treated at a local clinic and continued on to her scheduled meetings with local officials.

The ambassador said in a statement that though it is the kind of incident that can happen anywhere in the country, “Zambia is very safe and peaceful” and “very friendly to Israel.”

Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo and a presidential adviser both called Farhi to offer their support.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who also called Farhi to ask about her welfare, said it is an example of the kind of dangers that diplomatic staff face.

“More than once, Israel’s ambassadors around the world have put themselves and their families at risk in order to serve the country,” Cohen said in a statement. “They deserve full appreciation for that.”

Farhi is a roving ambassador who lives in Israel and makes diplomatic visits to the countries she serves.

She is also the ambassador to Zimbabwe and Botswana and is due back in Israel in the coming days, according to the report.

President Hakainde Hichilema has been commended for recruiting and deploying public service workers to serve the people in outlying areas of Siavonga district in Southern Province.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) Siavonga Member of Parliament, Darius Mulunda has called on public service workers in Siavonga district to reciprocate President Hakainde Hichilema’s gesture by working extra hard.

ZANIS reports that Mwenda Mwenda, a mathematics teacher based at Chaanga Combined Day School, off the Bottom Road said this during a meeting chaired by Siavonga Member of Parliament Darius Mulunda, who was accompanied by Siavonga Town Council Constituency Development Committee Fund (CDFC) Chairperson Lubinda Mubiana and Mulimya Ward Councillor, Sydney Simweemba, held at Chaanga Combined Day School.

Mr Mwenda says the move by President Hichilema to recruit over 40,000 civil servants has greatly motivated those that have been deployed to remote areas to serve the public despite such areas lacking basic social amenities.

He however, expressed great concern with the way the Siavonga District Education Board Office has been handling administrative transfers of erring teachers by sending them to far flung areas as a punitive measure.

Mr Mwenda requested the area member of parliament and other relevant authorities to prevail on the matter and suggested that erring teachers and other public service workers should be reprimanded and transferred closer to their supervisors for easier monitoring.

His concern arose from an incident involving a fellow teacher who was transferred deep in the outskirts of the district due to alleged gross indiscipline and other related disciplinary matters.

And in response, United Party for National Development (UPND) Siavonga Member of Parliament Darius Mulunda has called on public service workers in Siavonga district to reciprocate President Hakainde Hichilema’s gesture by working extra hard.

Mr Mulunda implored teachers and other public service workers to be dedicated to duty and be ready to serve in remote areas if meaningful development is to be attained.

The Siavonga parliamentarian commended all public service workers that have readily accepted to serve in the outskirts of the district which are still shunned by some civil servants due to its remoteness.

And in a related development, Mr Mulunda has implored teachers to heed Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima’s call to them to desist from engaging in partisan politics.

Mr Mulunda reiterated President Hichilema’s warning that the government will not hesitate to dismiss any erring public service worker in a bid to professionalise the “education system”.

He reminded the teachers and other public service workers in the district that the grace period for those with “political antics” is over as the government is in a hurry to develop the country.

Chaanga Combined Day School lies in the outskirts of Siavonga District off the Bottom Road and provides limited and improvised weekly boarding facilities to some girls while the rest are renting in nearby villages.

Mr. Mulunda later donated mattresses and blankets to some pupils during his visit to the school following a request that was made by both school management and parents to consider helping girls that come from far flung areas of Siavonga.

Gwembe district health office is lobbying for two ambulances through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in a quest to reduce maternal deaths.

Gwembe District Health Director, Nkuta Kashweka said most maternal deaths in the district have been caused by lack of transport to ferry expectant mothers to delivery centres and that this initiative would help solve the problem.

Dr Kashweka told ZANIS today that the department has applied to the CDF committee for the procurement of the ambulances through the Lukonde and Fumbo Ward Development Committees.

He said the ambulances will service the catchments of Munyumbwe and Gwembe hospitals respectively.

“We have already identified cooperatives and applications were done through the WDCs and we are just waiting for the CDF committee to sit and see the way forward. We are really in need of these ambulances for us to continue saving lives,” he said.

The district health director also explained that the two ambulances that are currently servicing the two hospitals are not reliable and are too old and worn out, consequently making it difficult to ferry patients and expectant mothers to referral centres as they are characterised with breakdowns.

He said once new ambulances are procured, the maternal deaths will reduce in the district as mothers will be ferried with ease and on time to delivery centres.

However, Dr kashweka lamented that it is not only the lack of transport that contributes to maternal deaths on transit but also the bad state of the roads that lead to health facilities.

He has since appealed to the local authority to consider grading the roads.

“Our roads are really in a bad state such that it can take a lot of hours for an ambulance to reach the delivery Centre. This also affects the expectant mother as there is no comfort required due to the bumps on the roads. We are appealing to the local authority to consider grading the roads in the district especially before the offset of rains,” he said.

Dr Kashekw added that the bad road network has also contributed to the worn out of vehicles in the district, therefore incurring a lot of expenditure on maintenance and repair.

Further, District Nursing Officer Miyoba Mbewe has appealed to WDCs in Chamwe and Bbondo wards to apply for construction of mothers’ shelters at Chamwe, Bbondo and Luumbo rural health centres through CDF.

Ms Mbewe said this will help expectant mothers to be at the health facilities in time before delivery to avoid emergencies.

And Ms Mbewe has also observed that most at- risk mothers refuse to be referred to the hospitals for delivery due to lack of food.

She has since appealed to the department of social welfare to consider helping women at mothers’ shelters with food staff.

‘’ Most at- risk mothers refuse to be referred to the hospital due to lack of food. They look at spending money both for food to carry to the hospital and what to leave at home for their families. So this becomes more risky and may lead to maternal deaths. We are appealing to the department of social welfare to come in and help where possible, because what we have in our hospitals is not enough,” she said.

The nursing officer has also appealed to expectant mothers to develop early health seeking behaviors by avoiding late presentation of their cases to health facilities so that they can be easily and effectively monitored by health personnel to avoid complications during delivery.

She has also called for installation of more mobile network towers in the district to enhance effective and easy communication during emergencies.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo recently wrote to local authorities in the country to allow procurement of ambulances in hospitals using the Constituency Development Fund. This would help the Gwembe community to have new ambulances which they have for a long time been lobbying for.