Zambia: UN and NGOs seek $8.8 million in wake of floods

New York: 28 March 2007: The Inter Agency Standing Committee today launched a $8.8 million, three-month Flash Appeal for Zambia, where widespread flooding has left some 300,000 people in need of assistance.

"The Government has led a strong national response to the flooding to date," said United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes. "However, the extent of the destruction, and the possibility of the situation getting worse, now make it imperative for the international community to reinforce the Government's efforts."

Unusually heavy rains since December 2006 caused the flooding, which has led to the displacement of some affected populations and the destruction of crops, houses and public infrastructure. The situation in the country worsened in mid-February, when the banks of the Zambezi, Kafue, and Luangwa rivers began to burst. Since then, continued high water levels have been a source of concern. In many places, the waters have not yet receded and a second wave of floods cannot be ruled out. While seasonal floods are common in some of the affected areas, this year's floods not only came earlier than normal -- disrupting livelihoods, they have also been wider -- affecting communities that do not have traditional coping mechanisms.

A rapid assessment conducted by Zambia's Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) identified nearly 300,000 people whose livelihoods are directly threatened by the flooding, as well as more than 1.4 million indirectly affected. Based on the assessment, the Government developed a Coordinated Response Plan, which prioritizes aid in the areas of shelter, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education and psycho-social support, food security, and information management and coordination.

The appeal contains projects from eleven humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Africare, Oxfam, Concern and Project Concern International (PCI).

The Government is leading the response, providing some 1,500 metric tonnes of food, 500 tents, 1,000 boxes of chlorine (to purify water sources), and 400 mosquito nets to date. Additionally, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, the Red Cross, private sector and other in-country partners have supported relief efforts by redirecting available funds and/or drawing upon existing stocks. However, available resources have been exhausted and drawn-down stocks need replenishing.

Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 165 out of 177 countries on UNDP's Human Development Index. More than 70 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. The needs caused by the flooding are exacerbated by pre-existing needs resulting from chronic vulnerability due to consecutive droughts, HIV and AIDS, outbreaks of communicable diseases, and poverty.

"There is a need to bridge the immediate emergency relief response with recovery, reconstruction and longer term reduction of risks and vulnerability," said United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zambia Aeneas Chuma. "A strategy ensuring a concerted effort to address these longer-term needs will need to be managed and funding for activities will need to be determined."

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.