Appeal

Zambia

Assistance to Floods Victims in Zambia - AFZA71

Appeal Target: US$ 514,757

Geneva, 6 March 2007

The 2006/7 rainy season in Zambia has been characterised by excessive rains that have caused floods in a number of districts. The rains started in December 2006. Since then most of the country has received more rain than the 30-year average on record and in mid February 2007 it was still raining heavily. The districts most affected by the floods are Mambwe, Lundazi and Chama in the Eastern Province, Solwezi, Mwinilunga, Zambezi and Chavuma in North-Western Province, Ndola on the Copper-belt Province, Kafue and Luangwa in Lusaka Province and Mpulungu and Mungwi in the Northern Province.

Houses in the affected districts have collapsed and infrastructure such as roads and bridges has been washed away. In addition the floods have collapsed school buildings and submerged school grounds. The effect is that the children are not able to get to the schools and the learning process has been disturbed.

The provision of routine health services has been hampered. Maternal services, immunisation programmes, distribution of drugs and general medical treatment services are not reaching the affected areas because the floods have made these areas inaccessible. Outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition are expected. Furthermore, incidences of malaria are on the increase due to stagnant water, which has now turned into favourable breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The water, sanitation and hygiene situation has also greatly deteriorated. Shallow wells which are a source of drinking water have become contaminated with dirty running water much of which is from collapsed pit latrines. This has put the affected communities at a high risk of contracting water borne diseases such as cholera, diahorrea, and other related diseases.

The damage to crops is equally immense in that most of the fields have either been washed away or are flooded, particularly in Eastern and North Western province. In Zambezi and Chavuma districts for instance, cassava, rice and maize crops are the most affected while maize and rice fields on the lower plain have been flooded thereby destroying the whole crop. The situation will surely result in reduced or no yield in the affected areas and this will make households in these communities food insecure in the coming months.

ACT members Lutheran World Federation-Department for World Service/Zambia Christian Refugee Service (LWF-DWS/ZCRS) and the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) plan to respond in through provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation, prevention of the spread of malaria through distribution of mosquito nets, distribution of donated clothing, provision of relief food, and rehabilitation activities involving cleaning up of wells and food security.

Project Completion Date: 29 February 2008

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FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE APPEAL (PDF FILE), KINDLY VISIT THE ACT SITE. THANK YOU. _________________________________________________________________________________

Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:

US dollar

Account Number - 240-432629.60A

IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A

Euro

Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z

IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z

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Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (jkg@act-intl.org) and the Programme Officer Michael Hyden (mhy@act-intl.org), of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.