02/04/2013 – When unexpected heavy rains recently lashed the usually dry province of Central Botswana, the local Red Cross was the first to respond. Trained disaster management volunteers from the Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) swung into immediate action, quickly accessing relief stocks, prepositioned last year in case of disaster.

27/03/2013 - Heavy rains have pounded Southern African countries resulting in widespread flooding, destruction of property, and loss of lives. The floods took place in the midst of the lean season, in a situation of acute food insecurity affecting millions of people through the region. In Mozambique, the worst hit country, more than 250,000 people, mostly women and children, are affected by the crisis with about 190,000 temporary displaced since January 2013. Malawi, Botswana, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe have also been affected by the floods.

CHF 184,249 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 3,459 beneficiaries (591 families). Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.

Government is doing everything possible to assist flood victims, President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has said.

He said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development officials would assess all affected villages and families to see how they could be assisted.

President Khama, who visited Chadibe and Borotsi in Tswapong on Saturday, donated food hampers and blankets to victims of recent floods in the two villages.

The food hampers and blankets, worth over P30 000, were donated by the Lady Khama Charitable Trust.

Link Southern Africa: Floods Situation Report No. 5 (as of 08 February 2013)

After days of torrential rain pushed the lower Limpopo River over its banks in late January 2013, flood water surrounded the city of Xai-Xai in southern Mozambique. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image on January 31.

Highlights

• Tropical Cyclone Felleng, which is passing down the eastern coast of Madagascar, has caused much rainfall since 30 January, but fortunately less than initially feared. So far no reports of significant damage have been received, although the water levels in some areas require vigilant monitoring.

• Mozambique is now responding to floods in the north, central and south of the country, which has temporarily displaced an estimated 169,000 people.

30 Jan 2013 - Flooding due to extremely heavy rains has been reported in the North-East and Central districts. 120 shelters housing 325 refugees have been damaged by high waters in Dukwi Refugee Camp.

Link: Southern Africa Floods Situation Report No. 2 (as of 30 January 2013)

Recent rainstorm victims in the Ngami area have expressed gratitude to President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama for assisting them with food donations. Receiving the food baskets which were delivered by the district commissioner’s office in Maun on behalf of the President, residents said the donation was testimony that he had their welfare at heart.