Through foreign embassies and non-governmental organisations‚ Zimbabwe has appealed to the international community for US$200 million in aid as the country seeks to recover from damage caused by Cyclone Dineo.
Reports quoting government sources say about 2‚000 people were displaced‚ over 250 died and infrastructure such as dams‚ bridges and roads were destroyed.
“The damages we experienced are the worst in the SADC region. Schools and clinics have been affected‚” said Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa after meeting foreign diplomats.
Chinamasa added that government has so far been seized with providing food‚ blankets and sanitation for flood victims in areas such as Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North‚ where camps have been set up.
Bishow Parajuli‚ United Nations country representative‚ said the top priority in Zimbabwe’s disaster management should be healthcare to deal with disease outbreaks after the floods.
“At this stage what’s important is to prevent infectious diseases which have started resulting in typhoid‚ in some areas cholera‚” he said.
The financially constrained government only managed to raise US$35 million and Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe accuses it of having misplaced priorities‚ hence the failure to contain the situation.
On Saturday last week‚ SADC heads of states and ministers met in Mbabane for an extraordinary summit‚ where it was agreed that because of the natural disasters‚ the Secretariat should speed up the operationalisation of the Regional Disaster Preparedness and Response Fund.