LUSAKA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango on Thursday announced the damage caused by the floods the country has experienced due to heavy rains during the 2022/2023 rainy season.
In a statement issued in Parliament to provide an update on the flooding situation, the vice president said eight people have so far died due to the floods while 373,581 people representing 62,264 households have been impacted. Meanwhile, about 1.5 million livestock have been affected.
"Over 278,863 acres (about 112,851 hectares) of crop fields have been adversely affected by the ongoing flooding," she said, adding that four dams have been breached while 68 were at risk of being breached due to their compromised structural integrity.
According to her, 94 road infrastructure, such as roads, crossing points, and bridges were also damaged or washed away.
The government was taking exceptional measures to respond to the challenge posed by the flooding with the establishment of 22 camps for internally displaced persons in the southern part of the country accommodating about 7,458 people while 474 people in the Eastern province have been provided with shelter, she said.
She also said a total of 203,914 people were in need of immediate food relief which the government was currently providing while 160,070 were in need of water and sanitation support.
On Feb. 28, the Chinese embassy in Zambia donated 1,800 bags of mealie meal and 300 blankets to Zambia for disaster relief. ■