El-Nino readiness intensifies

ZANZIBAR: TANZANIA is stepping up preparations for potentially heavy El Niño-related rains, with authorities in Zanzibar ordering drainage systems cleared and emergency services placed on standby while officials urge communities to act before flooding occurs.

Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi yesterday directed government leaders and relevant institutions to intensify public awareness campaigns and provide timely warnings as authorities prepare for the expected rains.

Mwinyi said residents should closely follow official weather forecasts and government alerts and take precautions early, particularly those living in flood-prone and lowlying areas.

“The government, through its security forces and relevant institutions, is continuing preparations to respond to challenges that could arise from El Niño and the expected heavy rains,” Mwinyi said after Friday prayers at Masjid Swafaa Mosque in Gongoni, Zanzibar’s Urban West Region.

He directed municipalities in Unguja and Pemba to ensure drainage systems, waterways and water channels were cleared to reduce the risk of flooding and stagnant water.

Authorities were also putting in place mechanisms to assist people who may be affected and strengthening rescue and emergency response capacity, he said.

Mwinyi said the government would work to maintain access to essential services, including food and healthcare, during the rainy period. He directed medical supply warehouses to maintain adequate stocks of medicines to meet possible emergency demand.

Emergency-response institutions should remain on standby to ensure rapid assistance and continuity of essential services whenever weatherrelated disruptions occur, he added.

The measures underscore a shift towards early preparedness, with authorities urging residents to take preventive action rather than wait for flooding or other weather-related emergencies.

In Dodoma, children’s rights advocates separately called for stronger measures to protect children, who they said were among groups most vulnerable to the effects of severe weather.

Ombeni Kimaro, national coordinator and board secretary of the Tanzania Child Rights Forum (TCRF), raised the issue during a meeting of Children’s Councils in Tanzania on Friday.

The meeting, officiated by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups Amon Mpanju, discussed preparations for the expected rains and the need to ensure reliable weather information reaches communities in time.

Mpanju urged local authorities and civil society organisations to ensure weather warnings reached residents early enough to allow them to take precautions, including moving away from flood-prone areas.

“People should prepare, take precautions and store sufficient food,” Mpanju said, adding that disasters tend to disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including children, older people, people with disabilities and women.

He urged people living in valleys and other high-risk areas to move to safer locations and called for drainage channels to be cleared before the rains.

“People should take action immediately rather than waiting until the rains begin,” he said.

Mpanju said the government had already begun measures to address challenges associated with the expected weather conditions but stressed that effective preparedness required cooperation between government institutions, communities and other stakeholders.

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The Children’s Council meeting also discussed broader child-protection concerns, including corporal punishment in schools, water and sanitation facilities and the need for improved school and road infrastructure.

The government said it would establish an ICTequipped room for Children’s Council leaders and support their national meeting, with representation from across the country.

TCRF, which coordinated the meeting, was established in 2009 and registered in 2012 to promote children’s rights and strengthen advocacy, monitoring and reporting on issues affecting their wellbeing.