Implications of the floods disaster in Tsholotsho village

UPDATE ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FLOODS DISASTER IN WARD 6 OF TSHOLOTSHO NORTH CONSTITUENCY: BY HONOURABLE PROF. JONATHAN MOYO, MP

1. Background
On Saturday night villagers in Ward 6 areas of Mahlosi, Mahlaba, Mbanyana, Mbamba and Maphili woke up in the middle of water. Gwayi River had burst its banks and water spilled into fields along the riverbanks. There was massive destruction of homesteads, crops and livestock. All villagers were marooned and were airlifted to Sipepa by the Air force of Zimbabwe. A camp has been set up at Sipepa Hospital and the camp has the following:



2. Education

Mahlaba Primary School has temporarily closed as the whole area is flooded and villagers and school going children were evacuated. Pupils from Mahlaba Primary School will be learning at Sipepa Primary School for the time being. Five teachers from the school were evacuated together with members from the community. There are pupils from Mathupula Primary who were evacuated together with their families. These are also going to be at Sipepa Primary School for the time being although their school was not affected. This has put pressure on Sipepa Primary School, which has an enrolment of 342 pupils using six classrooms and inadequate furniture, teaching and learning materials and staff accommodation.

As a temporary measure, the following needed urgently:
a)    8 tents with one tent accommodating a class
b)    8 movable boards
c)    Stationery i.e. exercise books, counter books, pens, pencils, rulers, crayons
d)    Textbooks
e)    Furniture

3.    Food security
Crops were destroyed which will reduce their harvest to zero. The household economy has been negatively affected as well, with income now going to be used to buy property destroyed by floods, i.e. kitchen utensils, food items, blankets and livestock just to name but a few. The affected people require food assistance, which should start as soon as possible and extend up until the situation improves which is the next season. A permanent solution is required and it will involve relocating the community.

4.    Shelter
Others had their homes destroyed, the general coping mechanisms of the people has been radically disturbed. The social network of communities has been disrupted. The disturbances have caused emotional distress, creativity and normal thinking disturbed. Shelter replacement should be priority.

5.    Needs
-    Blankets
-    Food
-    Medical supplies
-    Sanitary ware
-    Stationery for school children
-    Stationery for administration
-    Plates
-    Cooking pots
-    Cups
-    overalls, raincoats and gumboots
-    Tents
-    Soap
-    Buckets
-    Tambolins
-    Mobile toilets
-    Cooking oil

6.    Organisations which assisted
a)    German Agro Action
-     900 bars of soap
-     300 x20l buckets
-    192 units water    guard
-    200 hand wash    posters
b)    Plan International
-    50 kg mealie meal
-    50kg matemba
-    50kg beans
-    40litres cooking oil
-    20 cabbages
-    5kg salt
-    50kg sugar
-    200 exercise books (soft)
-    100 mathematics exercise books
-    120 pencils
-    210 Art exercise books
-    40 loaves
-    200 pens
-    400 litres fuel
c)    Red Cross Society
-    55 tapolins
-    1 x 100 seater tent
-    6 tool kits
-    8 kitchen utensils kits
-    20 tents and 20 buckets
d)    MSF
-    1 tent
e)    IOM
-    6 bales footwear
-    72 x 100ml Vaseline
-    1 bale children fleece + 10 loose
f)    Department of Social Welfare
-    39 bags of maize
-    8 bags of rice
g)    Zimbabwe Defense Forces
- Airlifting victims to Sipepa and logistics
h)    Ministry Of Health and Child Care
-    Administration and reception