OPUWO – The Kunene Regional Disaster Risk Management team, with support from the Office of the Office Prime Minister (OPM), is assessing impact of the recent flooding in various parts of the region, to swiftly implement measures to address the predicament.

Heavy rains and subsequent flooding since March have resulted in loss of lives, while also disrupting livelihoods, specifically in the Epupa Constituency, where more than 2 500 residents are said to have been affected.

A team from the OPM, Kunene Regional Council, Opuwo Town Council and other government officials, met on Tuesday at Opuwo to assess the extent of the flood damage and map the way forward on how to effectively mitigate the ongoing challenges.

The meeting also focused on assessing the effectiveness of the response to date and gathering suggestions for both immediate and long-term relief.

Acting Kunene chief regional officer, Joseph Jantze said Epupa constituency is the worst affected by the floods, with more than 2 500 people in dire need of assistance.

“Epupa is the worst affected. So far, we have received 200 reports of damaged infrastructure, including roads, loss of livestock, crops and houses,” he said.

Jantze also said the council, in collaboration with the government and the governor, has swiftly implemented measures to rehabilitate and upgrade infrastructure, among other assistance including food aid.

They have also distributed mosquito nets, mattresses, and food rations with the help of a defence forces helicopter.

Additionally, the meeting heard that the Khorixas and Kamanjab roads are now inaccessible, and boreholes in the Braunfels area have been damaged. The Opuwo-Etanga road has also been extensively damaged.

Jantze also reported that last month, a mother and her child drowned in the Otjiu-West area.
The acting CRO said under the current predicament, more food will be required, but the council had food for only three months.
Swartbooi Drift or Otjimuhaka, as it is also known, is the worst affected village, where most residents live on the banks of rivers. They recently received 170 mattresses, 680 cans of fish, 10 200 mosquito nets as well as 1 200 water purification tablets sachets and 200 bags of maize meal. Most of the villagers at Swartbooi Drift have been relocated to higher ground.

In Opuwo, 61 people were recently displaced due to flooding, in addition to the 107 who lost their houses and belongings last month.

According to Opuwo Town Council environment officer, Parcevarl Liyali, the council, with the assistance of the OPM, supplied tents, mosquito nets, food and mattresses to the affected communities.

“We have placed these people in a temporary shelter where they will be cared for,” he said.

Liyali added that the floods have destroyed the town’s water pipeline and the sewer pump station, adding that the council is working to rehabilitate the affected infrastructure.
Kunene police regional commander, Commissioner James Nderura said the floods have put the lives of people at risk as they can no longer access essential services. He, however, said the police had drafted a contingency plan to assist the regional leadership in helping the affected communities.

“The police are on site to offer assistance. We have already provided two trucks to help transport food items to the airport in Ruacana, from where they will be taken by helicopter to the remote areas,” he stated.

According to Nderura, several schools in Onungurura, Otjimuhaka and Etanga are still flooded.

He said the water had also damaged private and public property, including roads, adding that major roads such as Etanga-Opuwo, Onungurura-Otjimuhaka had been closed off due to the extensive damage.

Executive director in the OPM, Gladice Pickering called for concerted efforts across various sectors to alleviate the challenge caused by the floods.
She said more assistance should be  sent to the region and called on the regional leadership to account for all resources they received.

“We should account for resources dispatched to the region. Let’s share resources equally to all affected communities,” she urged.

“Let’s coordinate effectively to ensure that we tackle this situation and ongoing predicament on the ground. We can do this by producing authentic, identical reports through the office of the governor.” -Nampa