Salima closes flood survivors’ camps

Salima District Council has closed five evacuation camps that hosted people displaced by floods which hit the district in February this year.

The camps were located at Mgwirizano School, Lifidzi School, Mtimawoyera and Kandulu Safe Haven for people from Traditional Authority (T/A) Pemba and Mtsumwa School which sheltered people from T/A Ndindi.

According to Salima District Council officials, the camps were closed at the end of April because the situation in the affected areas had stabilised.

Confirming the development, district commissioner Rodney Simwaka thanked the officials from various sectors at the council, Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), development partners, civil society, the private sector and individuals for assisting 1 730 families displaced by the floods.

Salima District Council assistant disaster risk management officer Blessings Kamtema said all the families have relocated to their villages.

He said although all families have moved back to their villages, the council still welcomes assistance from well-wishers as the households are still at rehabilitation stage and they still need support before their livelihoods return to normal.

“The situation has normalised. By the end of April, we had all the camps closed and the displaced people returned to their villages to start rebuilding,” said Kamtema.