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Floods in Namibia

Namibia's President Pohamba declares floods emergency

Namibia's President Hifikepunye Pohamba has declared a state of emergency following serious flooding in the north of the southern African country.

More than 20 people are reported to have drowned and some 10,000 displaced, many from the town of Oshakati.

The BBC's Frauke Jensen in the capital Windhoek says livestock have been lost, crops destroyed and roads washed away.

There has been heavy rainfall since January, causing water levels to rise in the Zambezi and Okavango rivers.

Two years ago, more than 90 people were killed by floods in Namibia.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12913487

The flood already exceeds the 2009 flood, which was then considered to be the highest in known history. Reports from upstream (Angola) indicate that more water is expected and the Namibian Meteorological Services predicted more rains next week.

UN-SPIDER SpaceAid: space-based information for floods in Namibia

Status Update: 10 May 2011


Contacts

UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER:
Focal Point: Mr. Joerg Szarzynski
Phone: +49 228 815 0677

Disaster Information
Region: 
Cuvelai Delta, Namibia
Occurance Date: 
28/03/2011
latitude: 
-17.8525
longitude: 
15.7187