Floods Declared National Disaster in Zambia; Media Largely Ignores Crisis
Posted on January 18, 2008 - Filed Under Zambia, citizen journalism, climate crisis |
The effects of global warming are felt differently in various parts of the world. In Zambia, sudden massive unseasonable flooding has created a disaster. Although a large number of families have been displaced and have lost their homes and possessions the story remains off the front pages and home pages of most major media outlets. Even the President of Zambia lashed out at the media for not reporting more aggressively on the story.
iConflict contributor Henry Namwenda filed the following report from Zambia:
PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has declared the floods currently being experienced in some parts of the country a national disaster.
The President who addressed hundreds of displaced families at Mbiya Basic School in Mazabuka yesterday, appealed to all stakeholders to put aside their partisan beliefs and work towards resolving the problem.
“This is a national disaster; it requires concerted efforts from all of us to resolve. Let’s take off our partisan hearts and attend to the situation which has risen, that’s what we should do,†Mwanawasa said.
President Mwanawasa said the Government had given out K20 million to each of the affected constituencies in Mazabuka district. The Magoye river in Southern Province, burst its banks following torrential rains, leading to flooding. Hundreds of homes and agricultural products had been submerged.
In Eastern Province, the culverts near Kacholola area in Nyimba districts have given in, forcing authorities to suspend movement of heavy trucks and buses from Lusaka to Chipata and vice versa. Mwanawasa has lashed at the media for what he described as ‘conservativeness’ in the manner of reporting the flood situation and other humanitarian issues.
He said the media needed to be more aggressive in highlighting issues pertaining to floods and humanitarian needs.
“Members of the Press, you should not only be crying about Freedom of the Press, you have a duty to inform the country and the whole world about what is happening in Zambia,†he said.
“Because I took it upon myself to appeal to the Australian government yesterday, it is the lead story in both the Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail,†he said.
Chief Sianjalika, one of the traditional leaders whose chiefdoms the floods had affected, called for help from the Government and humanitarian agencies as his subjects had nothing left after the floods.
“We really need immediate assistance from the Government and all stakeholders, especially in the area of food because all our maize stocks have since been washed away. We have remained with completely nothing; my people are starving, even their goats and chickens have all disappeared and up to now we have no report on where they could be,†Chief Sianjalika said in an interview.
Maggie Hamuchenje, a displaced Monze resident said her home had been washed away and did not know where to start.
“My home was washed away, I have nowhere to start from. So I am appealing to the Government to even consider helping us to build new houses.†she said.
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