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What happened, where and when?
Starting on 7th February 2023, Zambia experienced the most severe flooding in over 50 years, according to reports from the Zambia Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). By 9th February, the rains worsened, leading to exponential increase in affected areas and prompting the Government, on 10th February, to request for assistance from humanitarian partners, including the Red Cross.
The flooding occurred across 9 provinces (37 districts), with Southern Province experiencing the most severe impact. This situation resulted in devastating impacts, with over 25,768 households (equivalent to 154,608 people) affected by the floods in 5 Districts of the Southern Province. A total of 3 districts, including Namwala, Monze and Mazabuka districts, were the most hit with 1,394 families displaced and had to be accommodated across 20 camps. Out of the 20 camps, 7 camps were in Namwala with 380 displaced households, 12 camps in Monze with 816 displaced households and 1 camp in Mazabuka with 198 displaced households.
Based on the rapid assessment conducted by Zambia RC, a quick humanitarian support was deployed across the 20 camps. These camps benefited from the ECHO PPP project stocks in-country and DREF intervention help to scale-up.
Scope and Scale
Zambia has been experiencing extreme weather conditions with increased frequency and intensity exacerbated by climate change for many years. However, floods of 2022, were more severe than the previous year as they affected more families and districts (154,608 people affected).
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It was estimated that approximately 80% of communities in the Southern Province relied on subsistence farming as a primary source of livelihood, and the 2022 flash floods adversely affected these communities by submerging a significant proportion of their crop fields.
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Most of the affected areas were also inaccessible due to destroyed roads and submerged bridges, which resulted in inaccessibility of basic services such as markets, schools and health facilities for the vulnerable groups including the elderly, children, people with disabilities and women.
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The rains continued into March 2023 with related risk in the communities all along. Accessibility improved towards the end of March.
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The floods also disrupted livelinoods. According to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, about 164,012 out of 546,708 cattle (30% of total cattle in Namwala, Monze and Mazabuka) were exposed to flooding and associated risks such as animal diseases and reduced grazing land. In recent past, Namwala district were also affected by floods, making the district highly vulnerable.
These floods occurred at a time when the country, including the flood affected districts, were experiencing food insecurity. Most of the affected districts had a history of flooding especially districts such as Namwala, Monze, and Mazabuka in the Southern Province, are repeatedly affected by floods due to heavy localized rainfall and low-lying terrains.
The most affected areas were inaccessible as a result of submerged roads and bridges, creating obstacles for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and women, in accessing basic services such as schools and hospitals.