Zimbabwe has appealed for $100m (\u00a382m) to help those hit by floods that have killed 246 people since December.
\nOfficials say floods, which follow a crippling drought, have swept through villages, destroying roads, crops and livestock in the south of the country.
\nThe air force has transported some marooned villagers to safety.
\nLast week the cash-strapped government was criticised for reportedly spending up to $2m to celebrate President Robert Mugabe’s 93rd birthday.
\nMr Mugabe has declared the floods a national disaster.
\nAround 2,000 people have been left homeless by the flooding, with a further 1,500 described as “marooned”, in an official government briefing, with communities cut off by the damage to roads.
\nFive bridges on major highways have been swept away, Transport Minister Joram Gumbo told local media.
\nThe deadly floods have compounded the problems facing many Zimbabweans, who are still reeling from the affects of a crippling drought.
\nMore than four million people are estimated to be in need of food aid after rains failed last year.
\nIn what the government calls “an astounding shift from a drought condition to an excessively wet situation,” it lists 10 provinces, mainly in the south and west of the country, which have been worst affected by the recent flooding.
\nPublic infrastructure has been badly hit. with 74 schools damaged, Minister for Local Government Saviour Kasukuwere said.
\nSeventy dams had burst and 85% of the country’s dams were full, meaning that “even low amounts of rainfall will cause flooding,” he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zimbabwe has appealed for $100m (\u00a382m) to help those hit by floods that have killed 246 people since December. Officials say floods, which follow a crippling drought, have swept through villages, destroying roads, crops and livestock in the south of the country. The air force has transported some marooned villagers to safety. Last week the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13728","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n