Zambia – Floods Continue in North

The flood situation continues to affect wide areas of northern Zambia.

Flooding in Luapula Province, Zambia, March 2020. Photo: Government of Zambia

President Edgar Lunga recently carried out aerial assessments of the situations in Luapula and Muchinga Provinces and assured affected families of continued government support. Luapula Minister Nickson Chilangwa said that the government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has already started taking supplies such as food and tents to the affected areas in Luapula Province.

Flooding was reported across wide areas of the north from early March, when Lunga District in Luapula Province was among the worst hit. Other districts in the province, including Samfya, Mwense, Kawambwa and Milenge have also been affected.

Satellite images of 04 March showed that parts of Chitambo district in Central Province, Lavushi Manda district in Muchinga Province, Chilubi District in Northern Province were also affected. UNITAR–UNOSAT said that an estimated 7,000 people could be affected by the flooding, including around 3,000 in Lunga District and 1,500 in Samfya District both in Luapula Province. Around 1,500 could also be affected in Chilubi District, Northern Province.

Flooded areas (marked as red) in northern Zambia, March 2020. Image: UNITAR – UNOSAT

In a recent statement, DMMU said approximately 700,000 people in a total of 28 districts have been affected by floods over recent weeks in the provinces of North-western, Copperbelt, Luapula, Northern, Muchinga, Eastern, Western and Lusaka.

Flooding in Luapula Province, Zambia, March 2020. Photo: Government of Zambia