THE International Organisation for Migration (IOM) yesterday gave relief packages to several Beitbridge families that were affected by flash floods that swept through the border town on Wednesday night.
IOM Beitbridge district officer Nhamo Muleya said they were using a list prepared by the Beitbridge municipality and its partners to identify the beneficiaries.
“This is emergency relief while hopefully other organisations and agencies prepare to move in,” said Muleya.
The IOM package included five soup plates, five mugs, a kitchen knife, a serving spoon, five tablespoons, two 3,5 litre belly pots, two mosquito nets, a 20 litre bucket, six aqua tablets each with capacity to treat 20 litres of water, a bag and a green bar of soap.
Scores of Beitbridge residents living in the lower parts of Dulivhadzimo high-density suburb were left destitute after their homes were flooded during the storm accompanied by violent winds.
The storm ripped roads apart and washed away several cars while some residents had thousands of dollars’ worth of household electrical gadgets damaged or destroyed.
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Experts have said floods are entirely man-made with poorly maintained drains, plastic bags, shrinking open spaces and climate change contributing to accumulation of water on roads after a heavy downpour.
Beitbridge town clerk Loud Ramagkapola conceded that the poor drainage contributed to the flooding.
“A major disaster is loading if action is not taken quickly. Authorities and residents have to move fast before we have a major disaster.
“We are sitting on a time bomb,” said Boyd Maphosa, a resident of Dulivhadzimo.
Yesterday, it was difficult to establish how many families had been affected.