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Heavy rains have brought widespread destruction across the country, prompting the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) to swing into action to rescue families, school children and reconstruct essential infrastructure.
The Government has now pooled a US$103 million kitty for both recovery efforts and as contingency for future disasters.
The statistics from the CPU show that about US$30 million is needed to repair damaged critical infrastructure and possible reconstruction.
Damaged houses and reconstruction require an estimated US$20 million.
Water, sanitation and hygiene require US$10 million, livelihoods US$10 million, education US$10 million, food security US$10 million, protection and psychosocial support US$8 million while environmental protection will require US$4 million.
CPU department chief director Mr Nathan Nkomo said they are prioritising the development of a multi-hazard contingency plan for this season to ensure that the population is effectively prepared for disasters to reduce losses.
“We should come in and provide relief such as food and accommodation because there is massive destruction going on. We are looking at various aspects, including pollution and degradation, among others. We need to buy more roofing sheets and timber. The Government, supported by partners, will reduce potential impacts. We have also recently contained 51 cases of cholera in Kariba,” he said.
Mr Nkomo said in Kwekwe District, strong winds blew off one of the classroom block roofs at Umelusi Primary School on Wednesday.
“In Masvingo Province, Bikita District, four schools have been affected and had their roofs blown off by a violent storm on Wednesday. These include Chinyamape and Mudzami Primary Schools and Chirumba and Chikwira Secondary Schools. This storm also damaged eight solar panels at Chinyamape Primary School that powered boreholes. Currently, the school is without water,” he said.
The statistics from the department showed that 178 households were affected countrywide, and 71 schools and seven health facilities were extensively damaged.
In Manicaland, 51 households were affected while six schools, four shops and a church were damaged. In the Midlands, 64 households, 27 schools and one clinic were damaged.
About 13 households were affected in Matabeleland South, 20 households in Matabeleland North and 30 in Masvingo Province.
Mr Nkomo indicated that frantic efforts by the Government will be made to relocate the victims of floods in Harare to Dzivarasekwa and Mabvuku.
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He said those who are in condemned settlements should go to safer places before flooding.
During the same period, Harare City Centre faced severe flooding due to blocked storm drains, a recurring issue that has been plaguing the city since the start of the rainfall season.
Meanwhile, yesterday there were light showers over the northern half of the country which were heavier in some places.
The heaviest falls were recorded at Logan Park-Harare (56mm), Ashdown Park-Harare (41mm), Norton (25mm), Murehwa (18mm), Marondera (17mm), Shamva (14mm) and Zvimba (11mm).
Although the cloud system responsible for the current rains is weakening over Zimbabwe, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) is closely monitoring the Indian Ocean, where the second tropical storm of the season, named Bheki, has formed.
The public will be regularly updated on the storm’s movement, but at this time, it is still too distant to raise any concerns, the MSD said in a statement.
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