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UN rushing aid to help flood-beleaguered southern Africa

UN rushing aid to help flood-beleaguered southern Africa

Flooding across Namibia has displaced thousands of people
The United Nations and its partners are providing urgent assistance in southern Africa to victims of heavy flooding, which to date has claimed over 150 lives in Angola, Namibia, Madagascar and Zambia.

In Angola, the UN is supporting Government efforts, with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeking to improve access to safe drinking water and providing much-needed items and sanitation facilities to people seeking shelter in relocation camps. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sent staff to Moxico province to help the Health Ministry with an assessment of needs.

According to a report issued last month, 31 people have been killed and over 600,000 others affected by the heavy rains, which have left over 200,000 in need of food aid over the next two months.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today warned that flooding could worsen in the coming weeks.