Cyclone threatens flood-stricken Mozambique

Mozambique's flood disaster could worsen in the next week, with a cyclone looming in the Indian Ocean and possibly heading into the Mozambique channel. WFP reporting officer in Mozambique, Inyene Udoyen, told IRIN on Tuesday that a tropical depression forming off the coast of Madagascar could develop into a cyclone, but that even if it did not, Mozambique was headed for more rain. The weather system could affect Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and parts of Zimbabwe if it struck land, he said.

He said that medium-to-light rains were expected during the week, but heavier rains were expected in the region by the weekend. This could be compounded as more water from the Cahora Bassa dam started flowing through the Zambezi river valley. The floods have so far killed 62 people in Mozambique and left at least 80,000 people homeless.

On Monday, a team of South Africans assisting with rescue operations, airlifted about 400 people to safety, but news reports said that on Tuesday, many people were still resisting being moved from their homes. Britain's development agency DFID, which funded two Puma helicopters to conduct humanitarian relief operations in the area, continued to provide immediate emergency relief, distribute food and shelter items and to move individuals to safety where necessary this week.

They would be immediately available to take part in a search and rescue operation if the situation worsened, DFID reported. Udoyen said the South African team planned to head for home on Friday, but would stay if the situation deteriorated drastically.

Meanwhile, Channel Africa reported on Tuesday that the death toll as a result of floods in Malawi had reached 10. Commissioner for relief and rehabilitation, Lucius Chikuni, said there were unconfirmed reports of seven other people having died from the floods, the report said. Chikuni said the number of people affected by the floods had reached 346,000 after fresh floods hit two more areas, affecting 27 districts in all. Chikuni said thousands more people who were left homeless had not been given access to food and shelter for days as a result of inaccessible roads.