Wednesday 08 April 2009
ShelterBoxes sent to Namibian floods
200 ShelterBoxes have been despatched to Namibia after an initial assessment of the flood damage by the ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) in the country. The boxes are due to arrive in the Namibian capital Windhoek on 11 April. “We are co-ordinating our efforts in the country with UN-HABITAT and local Rotarians and have identified three areas in the north where many thousands of people have been made homeless,” says SRT volunteer Tom Lay (UK). “We will be travelling to the flood affected areas to oversee the distribution of the ShelterBoxes.” Tom is working in the country with fellow SRT volunteer Jon Chalcraft (UK). Northern Namibia has experienced heavy rain since the start of the year causing rivers to burst their banks. The Namibian government has declared a state of emergency in parts of the country and has appealed for international help. Severe flooding has also been reported in neighbouring Angola, Botswana and Zambia. It is estimated that 92 people have lost their lives and about 13,000 people have been displaced.
