Sibhula, Republic of Zimbabwe - Musa Ndlovu, 97, Sehelo Msebele, 35, together with Siphiwenkosi Ndlovu, 20, are standing at the banking company of a fast-flowing river. The iii women are preparing to render domicile after a twenty-four hours spent grinding maize. 

But since heavy rainfall triggered past times Tropical Storm Dineo, which left a trail of devastation across parts of southern Africa, damaged the duo that crossed the Hovi River, that has meant wading together with swimming through the river's chocolate-brown water.
For the women alive inward the hamlet of Sibhula, a remote settlement that is domicile to 1,000 people, 550km south-west of the capital, Harare, together with which for to a greater extent than than iii weeks has been trapped past times 2 flooded rivers that run parallel to it; the Hovi together with the Maleme.
Malamulela Ncube, 17, steps frontward equally i of the women balances a sack of the world maize on his shoulder. He wades through the river to render the sack to their village. 
He volition exercise the same matter with the iii remaining sacks.

As he places the 4th on his shoulder, the iii women follow his lead, hiking upwards their skirts together with dipping their shoeless feet into the river. One past times one, they wade in. Joining hands, they deed inward a curved business that pushes against the current. At times they autumn backwards into the water, simply they instruct upwards in i trial to a greater extent than together with maintain on moving until they accomplish the other side. 
Driven past times desperation, the villagers must opportunity with the waters, swimming against the rapid currents, to become inward search of food, medicine together with other basic necessities.

The regular army has airdropped 2 overflowing relief consignments into Sibhula which included maize grain - simply the villagers must cross the river to accomplish the grinding mill.
Wellington Ncube, 38, is i of the men who regularly swims across the Hovi to together with from Sibhula. He is delivering a purse of nutrient together with unopen to coin rolled betwixt his lips [Tendai Marima/Al Jazeera]

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 perilous crossing

The iii women have got each the world 20kg of maize, the country's staple, into mealie meal. Sebele hopes to feed her menage unit of measurement of v for upwards to 2 weeks on the cornmeal past times carefully rationing it into 2 meals a twenty-four hours - porridge inward the morning time together with sadza, a thicker, doughy version eaten equally a primary meal.
But in i trial the 2 weeks are up, Sebele together with Ndlovu tell they are willing to cross the river in i trial to a greater extent than if the duo has non been fixed.

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Bishow Parajuli, told Al Jazeera that at that topographic point has been a positive reply from international donors, such equally the African Development Bank, which is currently conducting an assessment of the damaged infrastructure.
Other partners such equally the United States, Britain, Nippon together with PRC have got promised to scale upwards their response, he says, simply emergency funding is limited.
"We had 2 previous years of drought, simply given the changing weather condition patterns nosotros were expecting floods this yr together with thence nosotros were a petty prepared, simply nosotros didn't know where they would hold upwards or the flat of devastation that would come upwards with it," Parajuli explains.
"We are appealing for to a greater extent than back upwards together with we've received a promising response, simply nosotros are also aware at that topographic point are express emergency resources together with on a global scale at that topographic point are serious situations inward other countries equally good such equally South Sudan, Republic of Yemen together with Nigeria where there's famine inward unopen to places."
Parajuli adds that despite the hope of a proficient harvest side past times side month, the United Nations agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), would conk on to render nutrient aid together with thence people would non "finish their nutrient likewise quickly".
Last year, a devastating drought left upwards to iv meg people inward need of assistance, according to the WFP, simply this season's heavy rainfall has meant that inward unopen to areas crops have got been washed away or are waterlogged.

'I don't know where to begin'

In Sipepa, a hamlet inward Tsholotsho District inward the country's far west, the flooding of the Gwaai River, caused past times the downgraded Cyclone Dineo, destroyed crops, livestock together with displaced hundreds of people. 
Gladys Ngwenya, 70, lost her entire crop, livestock together with slice of furniture to the floods. She is currently living inward the Sipepa Flood Victims Camp, which was laid upwards past times regime district administrators with the back upwards of international aid agencies inward the grounds of Sipepa Rural Hospital to conform upwards to 900 people. She says she is thankful that she together with her 2 grandchildren were airlifted to security past times the airforce, simply she nonetheless worries nigh starting over in i trial the regime relocates them to a novel area. 
"We are given nutrient to swallow here, together with they [emergency officials] have got said they volition aid us when nosotros leave, simply I don't know how; correct directly nosotros have got nothing. All my chickens together with the maize I'd planted were taken past times the H2O together with directly I don't fifty-fifty know where to begin," she says.
Andrew Gabela, the military camp co-ordinator, explains that although Tsholotsho is to a greater extent than oft than non a flood-prone district, the authorities were non prepared for the storm.


But the province of affairs is directly nether control, he says, together with the district authorities are making plans to eventually relocate people to a safer, less flood-prone area.
"We were overwhelmed when this happened, nosotros were non ready at all. We hadn't expected together with thence much damage. But with the aid of donors, we've started making plans to relocate them," Gabela says. "But for this catamenia these people volition hold upwards hither until their novel homes have got been built.
"They volition need something to starting fourth dimension over, simply we'll cross that duo later, it's i with many challenges we're trying to bargain with."
At the camp, Ngwenya shares a large tent with dozens of other women together with children. Although NGOs have got been quick inward their response, the communal site lacks adequate sanitation facilities, blankets together with sanitary supplies for women.
For now, the villagers alive inward dubiety nigh what the hereafter holds. Much similar the terra firma itself, they tin lav exclusively hope that they volition hold upwards able to rebuild their lives after losing together with thence much.