IOM dedicated 693 permanent housing units on 13 May, built in
partnership with the Civil Protection Unit of the Government of
Zimbabwe, for victims of floods in the Country's eastern, Chipinge
District.

Nearly 700 families from four flood-prone communities including
Nyerere, Masimbe, Gumira and Muchayiyana, each received a
two-roomed house at an official handover ceremony chaired by the
Minister of Local Government and attended by Zimbabwe's Housing and
Social Amenities Minister, local authorities and IOM.

Zimbabwe's low lying areas were devastated by floods in 2008
with the Chipinge district particularly hard hit, leaving hundreds
of families without homes, sources of livelihood or access to basic
social services. Through an IOM rapid assessment conducted in the
aftermath, shelter was identified as the most urgent humanitarian
need in the affected communities. In response, local authorities
allocated land for relocation purposes. Working in close
collaboration with the Governmental Civil Protection Unit, IOM's
Emergency Assistance Programme to Displaced Communities provided
building materials and technical advice to support shelter
reconstruction and new construction efforts for the vulnerable
communities. Displaced families also participated in reconstruction
efforts by mobilizing available material and providing labour.

"The 693 families benefiting from housing assistance in Chipinge
represent a major step towards alleviating the housing need in the
Chipinge province," says IOM Zimbabwe Chief of Mission Marcelo
Pisani.

Funded by the Dutch and Swedish Governments, and the UN Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF) the project will ensure that
flood-affected communities are protected from environmental hazards
and have access to social services lost during the disaster. In
addition to carrying out shelter activities, IOM has assisted the
displaced communities through HIV awareness and Gender Based
Violence Prevention activities. IOM also assisted local District
Environmental Health Technicians in containing a cholera outbreak
by providing medical supplies and transport assistance for a
comprehensive health assessment of the affected communities.

For more information please contact:

Zuzana Jankechová

IOM Zimbabwe

Tel: +263 4 335048

E-mail: "mailto:zjankechova@iom.int">zjankechova@iom.int