Mozambique faces shortages
2007-02-16 20:11
Mozambique - Thousands left homeless by floods in central Mozambique were facing new problems with food shortages predicted in the Southern African country, warned authorities on Friday.
The National Disasters Management Office also made an urgent call for more than 3 000 tents to shelter victims in 29 safe areas, now holding about 26 000 people.
Thousands were still waiting for temporary shelter, said Paulo Zucula, director of National Disasters Management.
He warned of food shortages for the flood victims, but gave no details about how much would be needed.
The floods, caused by torrential rains in January, have killed about 30 people in Mozambique and forced the Zambezi River to burst its banks.
Zucula said a total of 86 000 people have been rescued from swamped areas, including 2 607 rescued on Thursday in the central provinces of Manica, Sofala and Zambezia, and in the western Tete.
"In this operation, we used community canoes and 12 boats" provided by the government, said Zucula on state radio on Friday.
Water levels upstream of the Zambezi River have dropped, but flooding was still occurring as waves released from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam were still moving downriver.
The Spanish Agency for International Co-operation, an aid co-ordination organisation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, said Friday it would send emergency aid worth $263 000 to help the flood victims.
A statement from the Spanish Embassy in Maputo said the agency has called for a meeting in Madrid with non-governmental organisations and the regional government to collect aid.
- AP