When flooding destroyed Fennie’s home, she lost everything.
Fennie has lived through a great deal in her 85 years, but she has never seen such extreme changes in the weather.
During the first three months of this year, almost 375,000 people in Zambia were affected by floods. In the southern region, where Fennie lives, flash flooding has become an increasingly dangerous problem. She told us:
“I have never witnessed something like this, until now. Rains and floods destroyed our homes. Last year it was my neighbour’s, this time it hit me.”
Fennie’s house was washed away and she was badly injured. She lost all her possessions.
All over the world, and throughout the year, emergencies and extreme weather events threaten the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
Delivering hope in a crisis
When disaster strikes, people like Fennie urgently need emergency aid. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, CARE was able to visit Fennie’s village soon after the flood, to assess the damage and the needs of the people affected.
As a result of that visit, Fennie received an emergency aid package of pots, canisters, blankets, solar lamps and chlorine. That delivery gave Fennie what she needed to feed herself and her family. She could make the dirty flood water safe to drink. She could keep her family warm at night, and she could get around safely in the dark. Fennie was also given some cash support. She said:
Climate change is pushing communities to the brink
In Zambia, December is the beginning of the rainy season so, far from preparing for a festive Christmas, Fennie and her community are once again bracing themselves for possible disaster.
Climate change is pushing communities to the brink in vulnerable countries all over the world. And we know that, when a crisis hits, women and girls often suffer the most – and in ways that differ from men.
Generous donations from our supporters help us to be there quickly, when people like Fennie are first affected by extreme weather events such as flooding, drought or hurricanes. It also means we can also be there in the longer term, helping communities – and particularly women and girls – to build their resilience.
