2008 Namibia floods

The floods hit the northern Namibian regions of Omusati, Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena, and Caprivi.[7] These regions are the most densely populated in the nation with an estimated 859,975 people, almost half of the total population.[7] Northern Namibia has a semi-arid climate with high temperatures.[10] The rain patterns are unpredictable, with varying amounts and timing, although the rainy season tends to fall from November to April.[10] The majority of the people living in the rural areas of northern Namibia rely on subsistence farming, but the poor soil, largely composed of clay and sand mixture, is not ideal for crop production. This results in high levels of chronic food insecurity in these regions.[7][11] These threats are exacerbated by poor health outcomes, as large swaths of the population do not have access to adequate medical services.[7] HIV/AIDS is especially prevalent in the area, with an estimated 23% of Namibians aged 15 to 49 testing HIV-positive.[7]

The Namibian government declared a state of emergency on 5 March 2008[18] and appealed to international community for assistance.[19] Working jointly with humanitarian agencies including UN, the government assessed damage extent and established critical needs in the affected areas.[18] The government of Namibia provided food supplies worth N$221,000 and non-food commodities worth N$5.3 million[3] and pledged N$65 million to assist the displaced.[8] The Emergency Management Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister delivered necessary food items to the affected regions using helicopters following roads damage.[18] Flood victims were evacuated to relocation centres in the Engela District and Oshana Region.[13]

The Namibian Red Cross supported over 40,000 people, who were moved back to their homes by end of August 2008.[1] The Red Cross distributed blankets, hygiene kits, water makers, mosquito nets, bar soaps in North-western regions.[1] In partnership with the Swedish Red Cross the Red Cross also provided agricultural items such as millet, sorghum, goats and chicken to improve food security among the most vulnerable in Ohangwena region.[1]

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs triggered the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" to help the country battle against floods and the subsequent cholera outbreak that ravaged the country.[6] UNICEF trained community health activists, produced radio messages on cholera prevention and distributed water purification tablets in the affected areas.[13]

Oshana region in floods

Since 2008, when the first serious Namibia floods disaster occurred, they have become a devastating, almost annual event that finds most households hardly recovered from the previous flood.[9] The communities in the rural areas of North and Central Namibia were most affected by the floods. Their livelihoods are dependent on subsistence farming and the floods increased livestock and household vulnerability of the farmers.[12]

Water logging and retention due to the floods was associated with the loss of land productivity and soil degradation. The declining quality of soil affected the farming of major staple crops, sorghum and mahangu, which escalated food prices in the region furthering household food insecurity.[12]

Livelihoods were affected after livestock died from drowning in large numbers, whilst the poor prevailing conditions made those remaining susceptible to diseases and parasites such as Lumpy skin disease and the African swine fever.[20] Other impacts were on public infrastructure like roads, bridges, sewerage system, health facilities, market places and schools which were damaged extensively. Rehabilitation work in flooded areas went beyond repairs to include the elevation of roads and improvements to the drainage system.[21] The cost of this was 5.5 times the value of replacing damaged structures.[21] Unfortunately, the area and the population had not yet recovered and were still vulnerable when flooding occurred in 2009.[22]