⬆️ BRIEFING | DMMU, ZAF Airlift 54 Flood Victims in Lumezi as Rains Displace 127 Households
The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), with support from the Zambia Air Force (ZAF), has airlifted 54 people stranded by flooding in Lumezi District, Eastern Province, after the Lundazi River burst its banks and cut off access routes.
The victims, marooned for five days in Kamwala area while carrying out agricultural activities across the river, were evacuated using a ZAF aircraft that made four separate trips. They were safely relocated, along with their belongings, to Chiweza area in Kazembe Ward.
The flooding has also left at least 127 households homeless after heavy rains caused houses to collapse in several parts of the district. Displaced families are currently sheltering at Kazembe Primary School, where DMMU, working with cooperating partners, has begun distributing food and non-food relief items.
Other affected households in Chimalilo, Saili and Bodola villages have been accommodated in temporary shelters within their communities.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the floods originated upstream in Lundazi District, where key infrastructure has reportedly been damaged. Downstream, homes have been destroyed, crop fields washed away, and farmlands buried under heavy silt.
In a show of local solidarity, a Lundazi-based businessman identified as Aliboo has donated 100 by 25-kilogramme bags of mealie meal to support affected families.
DMMU says it continues to monitor the situation closely and is coordinating with line ministries, the Zambia Air Force, and cooperating partners to ensure the safety and welfare of communities affected by the floods.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya