Maria David & Placido Hilukilwa
Several access roads have been damaged, and at least one house has been completely destroyed by rain and floodwater in the Oshana Region.
However, no injuries or loss of life have been reported.
The Region’s Disaster Risk Management team has provided the family with temporary shelter while the house is being reconstructed.
The damaged and/or temporarily impassable roads include the gravel road DR3643 between Onamutuku and Onkani and the Okapya-Ohalushu gravel road.
According to the Regional Governor Elia Irimari, the Roads Authority’s maintenance department is hard at work to ensure that the blockages and damages are attended to.
He said that apart from the mentioned roads and the destroyed house in the Ongwediva Constituency, no reports of people being affected anywhere else in the region have reached his office.
The Disaster Risk Management team has made all the necessary preparations and stands ready to relocate entire communities should the need arise due to rainwater or floods.
Irimari cautioned parents and the community at large not to leave their children unattended and to warn them against playing in the water. He said that the dams are full, which could cause irreversible problems in the communities. Therefore, he stressed the need to take every necessary precautionary measure, including escorting children to and from school and encouraging them to travel in groups.
Notwithstanding the risks associated with the rainy season, Governor Irimari is pleased with the amount of rain so far and the abundant water and grazing in the region.
“We thank God for the good rain recorded so far this rainy season, as we were severely hit by drought, and now everyone has the opportunity to plough their fields,” he said.
