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Botswana

Botswana: Floods - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) Operation Update 1 DREF: MDRBW004

Attachments

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

Following technical issues with Botswana bank that caused considerable delay in the transfer of funds to the National Society, Botswana Red Cross Society was not able to carry on with the implementation of activities started at the onset of this disaster. In addition, given shortage at the IFRC Dubai warehouse, IFRC Regional Logistics Unit (RLU) needs more time to proceed and complete the replenishment of the IFRC Regional Warehouse based in Harare within the operation timeframe. Indeed, it is from Harare that NFIs to be distributed as part of this operation were dispatched to Botswana. No revision is being made on the operational strategy.

As such, this operational update is requesting a two months no-cost timeframe extension (new end date: 21 August 2018) to allow the National Society to implement all the activities outlined in the EPoA and for IFRC RLU to complete replenishment of stocks provided to the NS for distribution.

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

Above normal rainfall has been experienced in Tutume Sub district in Central of Botswana since 23 February 2018. The drastic weather change has resulted in torrential rains that have already affected the district causing displacement, damage to property and a risk of an outbreak of water borne and vector related disease. According to the Department of Meteorology Services, rainfall amounts range between 120-192mm, with a report of dams over spilling causing floods in the neighbouring villages of the Tutume Sub district.

From preliminary local authority assessments, images shared online, on the newspapers and by RC volunteers’ observations on the ground, the most affected villages were in the Tutume sub district, comprising of the following: Gweta, Zoroga and Tsookotshaa.

As of the 26th February, the villages of Gweta, Zoroga and Tsookotshaa were reported to be entirely flooded, affecting approximately 845 households (4,225 people). On 27 February 2018, the affected households were being evacuated to Gweta Vocational Training Centre and Zoroga Primary school.

A disaster report from the Gweta Disaster Committee revealed that the hospital sewage had overflowed due to the excessive rainfall and contaminated surface water. The report further explains that the sewage is likely to contaminate the nearby boreholes that supply households with their water. The same disaster risk was noted by the 2017 BRCS Flood response operation. The team on the ground have reported that the Water Affairs Department is working on correcting the situation by pumping out the waste to prevent it from overflowing into the water source and to avoid compromised hygiene practices as well as water quality. There is a serious risk of water and other vector-borne diseases, including Amebic dysentery, Cholera, Hepatitis A and Typhoid, as well as illness carried by mosquitos like malaria that are endemic in the affected areas.

According to a preliminary report from Red Cross volunteers and District Disaster Management Committee on the ground, the water level has continued to increase in the past three days. The team has faced challenges including access to some parts of the village due to flooded roads. In addition, the Department of Meteorology Services also reported on 4 March 2018 a forecast predicting 60% chances of rainfall in the northern parts of Botswana which included the areas of Zoroga, Gweta and Tsookotshaa. By 20th of March, it was reported that the rains had reduced in intensity, but the water was yet to recede from flooded areas. As these villages are situated in the Makgadikgadi salt pan, slow receding waters with some pooling could remain for months after the flooding. It should be noted that these same villages are amongst those seriously affected by Cyclone Dineo in February 2017 and are still recovering for the economic set back.

The Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) has received several requests for relief intervention from District Offices, but the Country has not declared the current situation as a national emergency. Although the Government has not declared these floods as national emergency, there are important humanitarian needs such as shelter and WASH, which the National Society is unable to attend to without support. Therefore, the NS has requested to the IFRC a CHF 111,493 DREF grant. The National Society, through this DREF operation, intends to provide assistance to 564 most affected households in these three severely affected villages (322 HH in evacuation centres, 97 HH moved to host families and approximately 145 HH still living in their partially flooded homes).