Press Release

Red Cross concern for flood crisis in southern Africa

14 January 2008

The British Red Cross expressed increasing concern at the flooding affecting countries across southern Africa.

Lois Austin, relief operations manager for the British Red Cross, said:
“The heavy rains which normally come later in the rainy season started last month. Houses and agricultural land have already been destroyed.
Everything indicates that the situation is going to get worse.

“Already tens of thousands of people are affected. Water levels are still rising and if the rains continue to fall at the same rate over the next week, then the number of people affected will rapidly escalate.”

The rains escalated last month and the situation now affects countries including Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland and Madagascar.

Ms Austin added: “Currently some of the worst hit areas are northeast Zambia and northern Mozambique, where about 60,000 people affected.
Through its preparedness programmes the Mozambique Red Cross warned people to move to higher ground as soon as the water levels started to rise. They’ve been giving people emergency assistance including tents, mosquito nets, tarpaulins and mattresses.

“Water levels are worse than they were in 2000 and 2001 when floods devastated the country. The impact has not been as severe this time because of prompt evacuations and disaster preparedness programmes put in place since then. However, with rains expected until April, we expect the situation will only deteriorate.”

For information from the field, Red Cross communications officer Alex Wynter is currently in Mozambique. He can be contacted on + 44 77
17470855 (roaming)