Story Link

Floods leave 10 million homeless
Source: DPA
Published: Sunday March 12, 9:21 AM

MAPUTO - Health ministers of five southern African countries said today that more than 10 million people had been displaced due to floods in four member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The health ministers of the five affected SADC countries, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, held a health conference in the Mozambican capital before visiting some of the country's provinces and towns worst hit by the recent floods.

Speaking at a press conference at Maputo airport, South African Health Minister Manto Tshabala-Msimang who chaired the meeting, said the ministers had decided to formulate an interim strategy for managing the region's flood crisis.

The ministers feared more people could fall prey to transmissible diseases because of chaotic water sanitation, especially in Mozambique.

To avoid an outbreak of diseases it was necessary that safe water was provided, that enough rehydration fluids were supplied for malaria cases and that foodstuffs reached the affected people, Zimbabwe's Health Minister Timothy Stamps said.

SADC's 14 member countries are: South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Mauritius, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Seychelles and Malawi.

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Comment:
Posted as an update.

Regards,

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), March 12, 2000

Answers

Pieter, thanks for the update. This is unbelievable! No wonder the aid agencies are gasping. The "first" world was even slower than usual to react to this one. News of Australian flooding is still coming, too. Be safe.

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), March 12, 2000.

This is what happens when the population becomes too heavy for the land....it becomes more and more susceptible to "natural" disasters, like flooding and disease. The future is here.

-- judy (jtruett@gilanet.com), March 12, 2000.

Right Judy, and we are going to see more and more of this. Of course no one dares mention that dirty word, brith control.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 12, 2000.

10,000 homeless? So, this is like 20-30 homes lost to the "flood?" Ha! And how many millions will we send for "relief?!" More like "international bribe!" So call me a cynic...

-- Robert (about-to-explode@toasted.net), March 12, 2000.

Robert:

10 million does not equal 10 thousand.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 12, 2000.

Cain slew Abel, Seth knew not why For if the children of Israel were to multiply Why must any of the children die? So he asked the Lord And the Lord said:

"Man means nothing he means less to me than the lowiliest cactus flower or the humblest yucca tree he chases round this desert cause he thinks that's where i'll be that's why i love mankind

I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee from the squalor, and the filth, and the misery How we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me That's why i love mankind"

The Christians and the Jews were having a jamboree The Buddhists and the Hindus joined on satellite TV They picked their four greatest priests And they began to speak They said "Lord the plague is on the world Lord no man is free The temples that we built to you Have tumbled into the sea Lord, if you won't take care of us Won't you please please let us be?"

And the Lord said And the Lord said

"I burn down your cities--how blind you must be I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we You must all be crazy to put your faith in me That's why i love mankind You really need me That's why i love mankind"

-- "God's Song", Randy Newman, from _Sail Away_

-- david moore (davidmoore01@excccite.com), March 13, 2000.

Wouldn't it be nice, every now and again, to read a headline that says "Lack of flooding allows 6 billion to stay in their homes"?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 13, 2000.

Cute one, Flint.

We see articles all the time on "best place to raise a family." I can't remember a time in my life where Africa stood out as anything other than "the place most likely to kill your family." If it isn't a flood, it's a famine, or a drought, or a revolution.

I attended university with two African students. There were actually more than two exchange students at my university, but there were two that I got to know well. One guy was the son of a chief in a small country. I forgot the name of his country, but it doesn't matter, because I'm sure the name has changed a few times since then. He was a very kind young man and I'm sure he suffered the prejudice that some imposed on anyone who had little trees carved into both cheeks of his face. He intended to return and help his village once his studies in the U.S. were complete and offered his village as a resort if I ever chose to visit his country. The second was from another country in Africa. When I asked HIM his plans after graduation, his response was revo lu SHUN! These two sat directly behind me in PSYCHO logy. You couldn't miss them, as they insisted on placing the em FA sis on the wrong syl LABLE.

Regarding birth control, Gilda, this IS nature's way of controlling a population...sad as it seems.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 13, 2000.