The Sunday News
Auxilia Katongomara, Sunday News Reporter
FLOOD victims housed at Sipepa clinic in Tsholotsho are in dire need of sanitary wear, toiletries and blankets, an official has said.
About 855 people were relocated to the hospital after floods ravaged their homes in most parts of low-lying areas of Tsholotsho.
Last week, the Civil Protection Unit with the assistance of the Airforce of Zimbabwe evacuated 1 362 people that were marooned by floods in Sipepa since Saturday.
Speaking during a tour by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society officials last week, the committee, looking after the victims said although the situation was normalising at the camp, they were still facing a number of challenges.
Mr Andrew Gabela, chairman of the committee looking after flood victims told the Red Cross team they urgently needed sanitary wear for ladies, toiletries for basic oral care and chlorine for the toilets to maintain hygiene at the camp.
“We need pads for the women here, we also need tissue paper, bathing towels and toothpaste because they have nothing at all.
We also need slippers for bathing purposes, chlorine for the toilets to avoid diseases and big pots ,” said Mr Gabela. He said there was also a shortage of blankets as some didn’t have any. He said affected schoolchildren were attending classes at a nearby school.
“We have 160 kids from Mathuphula and 170 from Mahlaba Primary where the school was closed due to the floods. And these children are attending classes at a nearby school. Unicef brought classroom-sized tents that can be used as classrooms but the challenge is furniture because there isn’t any to cater for the children,” said Mr Gabela.
He said the situation was stabilising at the camp as each village has organised to do its own cooking.
He said although there was running water at the camp supplied by Zinwa, they had challenges with Zesa because they do not have water bowsers or tanks to store water.
There was also a challenge at night which the committee said might lead to abuse in the mixed camp.
Red Cross Society national president, Mr Edson Mlambo said they were happy that the families had been accommodated but were working on bringing a generator as electricity was a challenge to the victims.
The newscrew spoke to some women at the camp who said they faced a number of challenges, among them overcrowding and shortage of sanitary wear.
“We are appealing to well wishers to assist us with sanitary wear and undergarments because we have to wash and wait for them to dry,” said Thenjiwe Ncube from Maphili village.
Most men have gone back to their homes to salvage the little they could and more importantly their livestock.
@AuxiliaK
