Thursday 02 April 2009
Team deployed to floods in southern Africa
A ShelterBox Response Team is due to leave for Namibia on 5 April to assess the need for shelter in areas affected by recent severe flooding. UK volunteers Tom Lay and Jon Chalcraft will fly to Windhoek and then travel overland to the North East of the country to report back on the situation on the ground. The area 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. “Once we have a clear picture of what is happening on the ground, we can decide our level of response,” says Pete Sykes, ShelterBox Operations Manager.
