15 Jan 2025

Households that were recently affected by floods in the Okavango District have been assisted with tents by the Okavango District Disaster Management Committee.

One of the people affected by the floods, Ms Mashako Sekongo of Etsha 13 expressed gratitude following the assistance she received after her hut collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Ms Sekongo  lives with her two children and one grandchild.

Another Etsha 13 resident, Ms Kayana Mayao, who resides with her five children, also appreciated the help they received from the government through the disaster committee.

Giving a brief during the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) special meeting on Tuesday, Okavango DDMC overseer and principal social welfare officer from Okavango District Council, Ms Dorcas Chilisa said in Etsha 13, about 45 families were affected by floods, of which six were assisted with tents.

In Nokaneng, 17 families were affected and three received assistance.
She said in Gumare, seven families were affected and they were able to assist one family while in Ngarange, one family was affected and assisted accordingly while the two households and one household that were affected in Sekondomboro and Mohembo respectively did not require tents.

Ms Chilisa said so far, two families in Etsha 13 were assisted with food, while in Gumare, Nokaneng, Ngarange, Sekondomboro and Mohembo one family was assisted for each village.

She said most structures affected in Okavango were mud houses that did not have proper supportive structures.

Ms Chilisa said cases of affected people may rise since the Social and Community Development Office was yet to conduct assessments in some of those places.

She said the other challenge experienced was that of shortage of transport to carry out assessment and to bring aid to the affected.

The Disaster Management Committee was also informed that apart from houses, Botswana Power Corporation infrastructure was also affected in places such as Nokaneng.

Water Utilities Corporation was also reported to have experienced setbacks since some treatment plants relied on electricity. This,  she said might  affect water supply as the treatment plants did not have backup power generators.

Meanwhile, disaster committee members have been advised to revive cluster committees of Gumare, Shakawe and Seronga to have prompt and accurate reports of disasters in the district to assist the affected timely and to have a pool of resources that could be shared. ENDS