17th March 2009


Director of Ceremonies
Honourable Joel Kapanda, Minister of Information and Communication Technology
Honourable Ministers
Esteemed Secretary to the Cabinet, Comrade Frans Kapofi
Members of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to State House this afternoon.  I am pleased to see the members of the media who are here.  I have invited you to State House in order to inform the nation, through you, that our Government has resolved to declare an emergency situation in light of the unfolding flooding disaster in north and north eastern Namibia.

As a result of heavy rains and flood waters, Namibia is once again experiencing devastating floods.  The most affected areas are in the north and north eastern parts of our country.

The floods have caused extensive destruction to homes, schools, health facilities, mahangu and maize fields, businesses as well as economic infrastructure such as roads and bridges.  It has also affected economic activities negatively.  The floods have also caused a set-back to Government efforts to strengthen food security by assisting subsistence farmers to produce more staple food.  This planting season, various assistance schemes were undertaken to boost productivity by providing subsidies to subsistence farmers to buy seeds. They were also assisted with ploughing and planting.  We had high hopes that these joint efforts by our Government and the farmers, coupled with early rains in crop growing areas, would result in a bumper harvest during the 2008/2009 season.  Regrettably, the floods came and destroyed much of this hard work. Today, indications are that crop yields will be severely compromised and reduced, especially in the northern and north eastern regions of Namibia. 

The current flood could be one of the worst such disasters in recent memory.  Certainly, it is worse than the floods that occurred last year when I declared an emergency situation in the affected areas on 4th March 2008.

As we speak, the livelihoods of thousands of people are under serious threat.  I wish to inform the nation that my Cabinet colleagues and I have deliberated on the present situation in depth.
Consultations were also made with various experts and other stakeholders.  Following these consultations, it has been determined that an emergency situation has arisen in the north and north eastern parts of our country.  Therefore, I declare today that the areas affected by flooding face an emergency situation.  This calls for the activation of necessary interventions by Government to address this unprecedented emergency situation.

The severe floods in the affected areas have not only destroyed crops, they have damaged or washed-away food reserves on which the rural populations rely.  To make matters worse, wide-spread crop failures are expected in the current planting season.  Many crop fields in the Caprivi, Kavango, Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshana Regions are submerged. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the size of land under cultivation. 

In the Caprivi Region, the waters of Kwando/Linyanti River have, for the first time in several decades, joined up with those of the Chobe River.  As of yesterday, the waters of the Zambezi have risen to 7.10 metres compared to 5.37 meters this time last year.  This has resulted in massive crop losses in Kongola, Linyanti, Sibinda and Katima Rural Constituencies.  Heavy rains have also devastated crop fields in the high lands.  As a result, large quantities of cereals will have to be sourced in order to prevent widespread hunger. In this context we must act quickly.

In addition to the expected high crop failures, grazing lands for livestock in some parts of Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana and Oshikoto Regions have also been inundated by water.  . 

This disaster has also disrupted access to many schools, health facilities and the provision of social grants to the elderly.  About 218 schools have been closed, disrupting education for more than 100 000 learners. The Oshana, Omusati and Ohangwena Regions are the most affected. A considerable number of learners particularly the lower grade learners are unable to attend schools because access routes are impassable due to high water levels.  Hundreds of learners, teachers and community members have been forced to relocate to higher ground.

The Ndiyona, Kahenge, Kapako, Rundu Rural East, Rundu Rural West and Mpungu Constituencies in Kavango Region are also experiencing heavy flooding. Many villages and a considerable number of crop fields are under water.  Already, about 729 households have been affected and 89 have been relocated to higher ground.

Our physical infrastructure has not been spared. I am informed that about 85 per cent of gravel roads in the affected areas have been damaged and many more are impassable.

The flooding of health facilities has significantly reduced the availability of services such as immunisation, ARV treatment and follow-up consultations for chronic diseases.

The high levels of water in many areas may promote the breading of mosquitos. Thus, precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the spread of malaria.  There is also need to procure adequate water purification tablets, tents for nursing staff, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and other supplies.

The effect of the flood has also resulted in the closure of many businesses, causing unemployment and loss of trade opportunities, for our small and medium enterprises.

In order to effectively deal with the flood situation, I direct that:

• The Office of the Prime Minister and other stakeholders work closely with Regional and Local Authorities to ensure timely delivery of all emergency supplies;  

• Coordination mechanisms at all levels of disaster management be enhanced;

• The Government, with the assistance of our development co-operation partners procure additional motorized boats to facilitate the distribution of emergency supplies and the evacuation of people in need;

• All line Ministries revisit the recommendations made in the 2008 National Flood Response Report to render Government interventions more effective;

• Given the frequency of flooding in the past few years, all Regional and Local Councils put in place adequate contingency plans for common disasters;

• A comprehensive database containing details of all people in disaster prone areas be established to facilitate speedier response in assisting affected people and to reduce suffering;

• The Roads Authority conduct an in-depth study of all the roads that were destroyed or damaged by flood water with the view to addressing the identified shortcomings, and

• The Roads Authority ensures that all bridges across the main water channels are reinforced to withstand the force of flood water. 

The destructive nature of the floods is apparent for all to see.  This is indeed one of the most destructive forces of nature. This year, floods have not only caused more destruction to our physical infrastructure, human lives have also been lost.  To date, 92 persons have drowned. 
Other citizens in the Caprivi and Kavango Regions have fallen victim to attacks by crocodiles and hippos.  I extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The gravity of the challenges is such that Government is appealing for the assistance of other stakeholders to address the problems. In this light, I call on all Namibians to work together to assist their fellow citizens in this hour of need. 

I also call on the international community to assist our Government in this present crisis and its aftermath.  The Namibian people will need your support in the rehabilitation of infrastructure destroyed by the floods.  I must single out roads, bridges, schools and health facilities as the top priorities. Your assistance will go a long in helping our Government to rehabilitate and reconstruct the physical infrastructure destroyed by the flood.

In addition, food items, medicines, water purification tools, mosquito nets, bedding and other supplies are also needed.  I invite our citizens, our development cooperation partners and other stakeholders to work closely with the Office of the Prime Minister as the central coordinating unit of the Government for disaster management.

Our Government must act speedily. All necessary steps must be taken timeously to arrest the crisis before it grows out of proportion.  In this connection, the Office of the Prime Minister has been mandated to ensure that all the necessary measures are put in place to deal with the situation. 

Fellow Namibians,

It is with a heavy heart that I declare that an emergency situation has arisen in the north and north eastern parts of Namibia.  In this light, I send an urgent appeal to the international community for assistance to support our government to mitigate the impact of this natural disaster on our citizens.  On behalf of Government, I would like to assure all our citizens who are affected by floods in Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Kavango and Caprivi Regions that we will do everything possible to alleviate your plight.

I thank you.