Nsanje communities warned against floods

Development Aid from People to People (Dapp) and Ministry of Health have asked people living in flood-prone areas in Nsanje District to pay attention to flood-warning signs.

Speaking yesterday at Chikhao in Senior Chief Tengani, Dapp programme manager Charity Phiri said they want people to remain alert during the rainy season to avoid being caught unawares.

She said: “We are engaging people living in flood-prone areas to prepare for eventualities.

“We have learned that people lose lives or property during floods because they did not follow early warning signs.”

Phiri said they also collaborated with Nsanje District Health Office (DHO) to provide health tips on hygiene and sanitation as well as sexual and reproductive health services.

Nsanje district health focal person Collins Tembo said it was important that people should follow early warning signs to protect lives and property.

He said: After listening to early warning signs, people should move upland.

“We urge people taking anti-retroviral drugs and those on tuberculosis medication to ensure they take their drugs with them to safe places.”

Tembo said during disasters, people forget their drugs or contraceptives as they are always in a hurry to flee to safe places.

Village head Sachoka thanked Dapp and the DHO for the awareness campaign, saying the area lost a seven-year-old girl to floods this year.

“I will encourage my subjects to follow weather updates on radio and early warning signs through gadgets mounted in Ndiola River to escape to safe places on time,” she said.

During the meeting, Nsanje DHO provided contraceptives to women, conducted voluntary couselling and testing, administered Covid-19 vaccines and offered immunisation services to under-five children.

With funding from Christian Aid, Dapp and Nsanje DHO are sensitising communities to the dangers of living in flood-prone areas.