Ndola — OPERATION Saviour is the Government's answer to the relief supplies distribution puzzle brought about by sudden floods being experienced in some parts of North-Western Province.

Hundreds of people living on the banks of the Zambezi river and its tributaries in Zambezi, Chavuma and Mwiinilunga districts now live under constant threats due to the floods caused by heavy rain.

With the next harvest four months away, both locals and some relief aid experts say the situation could deteriorate in the absence of a sustainable intervention mechanism.

With the entire major road network blocked in areas worst affected by the floods, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) under the Office of the Vice-President has teamed up with the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) coming up with an ambitious relief supplies distribution initiative code named Operation Saviour.

A total of 600 tonnes of maize, among other relief food, is expected to be airlifted to flood victims in Zambezi, Chavuma and Mwinilunga districts.

Apart from airlifting relief foods to flood affected areas, the initiative aims at ensuring that flood victims were helped to lead normal lives through the provision of social amenities.

Zambezi's Matondo-Nyachikayi ward councilor, Caiphas Muzanga, said that hundreds of people in flood-affected areas had lost goods worth millions of Kwacha.

Mr Muzanga said the worstdestruction of houses by floods was in the east and west bank of the Zambezi river.

He named some of the areas as: Machikayi where 132 families had their houses and property destroyed by the floods.

In Kanyenge area 50 families had their dwellings destroyed by the floods.

Mr Muzanga also stated in Matondo area 38 families were now living in an emergency situation after their houses and properties were destroyed.

He said that the floods affected hundreds of cassava and maize fields.

" We now have a situation where crops are rotting. The rice which was recently planted has been washed away by the water before it even germinated," the councilor said.

In most maize fields the crop has been swept away such that some rotten steams were now floating in water.

He said that in some places people have abandoned their dwelling places opting to settle in satellite relief centres.

An on the spot check on the west bank of the Zambezi river reveals that some of the most affected area were: Chinyama Litapi, Kalengwa, Milomboyi and Nyachikayi among others.

The Government has engaged PM Development agency to distribute relief food and other emergency needs to those affected by the floods in Zambezi and Chavuma districts.

PM Development Agency, coordinator, Mark Hilmorst, said the coming in of the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) under Operation Saviour has made a difference as far as ensuring that no life was lost during the emergency situation caused by the floods.

" We now have a situation were relief food is being airlifted to flood affected people in Mwangi, the furtherest point on the west bank near the Angolan border thanks to the efficiency of the Zambia Air Force relief operation," Mr Hilmorst said.

He noted that Operation Saviour was instrumental in bringing together some village headmen and other opinion leaders who were part of the leadership of the satellite relief supplies distribution committees.

He observed that apart from the relief food there was urgent need to supply the flood victims with other necessities.

Things urgently needed are tents, mosquito nets, malaria treatment, diarrhoea treatment and water purification substances.

According to PM Development agency findings, infant mortality rate has increased by more than 70 per cent on the west bank of the Zambezi river because of the floods .

Mr Hilmorst said that it was difficult to quantify the amount of relief needed by the flood victims in Zambezi and Chavuma districts.

He said the demand for the relief supplies was still high as the number of flood affected places continue increasing due to the heavy rain being experienced in the Zambezi river banks.

Some flood victims on the west bank have commended Operation Saviour for saving them from starving to death after their crops and animals were destroyed by floods.

Mwangi satellite relief distribution committee, member, Edwin Kayishala, said despite being in one of the remotest parts of the North-Western Province no human life was lost due to starvation after the floods.

The Zambia Air Force using airplanes and helicopters was now airlifting relief food and other supplies.

"The crops have been completely destroyed. Lakes and valleys covered by weeds have now been turned into bleeding grounds for mosquitoes," Mr Kayishala said.

The TIMES findings on the west bank revealed that strong water currents moving from the Zambezi river pouring into Lake Mwangi, river Lungevu and Lutembwe, among others, were now infested with weeds making it difficult for the locals to do fishing which was one of the major sources of income.

Mwangi area agricultural assistant, Patrick Muwichi, said that all the small-scale farming activities which used to be supplemented by fishing had now grounded to a halt due to the floods.

Mr Muwichi said the Mulunga Settlement scheme, which was the most productive farming area in Mwengi had almost all its crops destroyed.

He said that most of the few peasantries who owned some cattle have had their livestock dying due to the deadly contagious Bovine Pleural Pneumonia (CBPP).

"We are now facing a situation where the people can not grow their own food.

We can not communicate with other places within the west bank and the rest of the country because the only tool of communication in the area the radio message is no longer receiving signals due to the heavy rains," Mr Muwichi said.

He said the coming in of the Operation Saviour has mitigated the effects of the floods on the lives of the affected people in Zambezi and Chavuma districts.

He said that Operation Saviour had brought relief to the people who now feel that they belong to a country, which has a Government, which cares for its citizens regardless of where they were.

Mr Muwichi said: "As people affected by the floods on the west bank we salute the brave men and women in uniform who are risking their own lives dropping relief food and other supplies from moving planes and helicopters making sure that we survive. Operation Saviour has truly saved our lives."