Donors respond to flood appeal

The international donor community had responded favourably to a Mozambique government appeal for emergency assistance following heavy flooding earlier this year contributing more than US $4.3 million. According to a report this week by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), “this corresponds to about 35 percent of the needs specified in the appeal. Sectors such as food aid and related logistics received close to the total amount requested”. Earlier this year, Mozambique experienced its worst flooding in 40 years. The areas most affected by heavy rains floods included Gaza in the south, and central districts of Sofala and Zambezia. OCHA estimated at the time that some 70,000 people had been affected, with up to 6,000 people displaced. This week, OCHA said the only areas which had received a low donor response were longer-term health care and infrastructure requirements. It cited an assessment by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) which said repairs to vital roads and bridges along the main north-south route would require US $6 million. SIDA had made available US $3 million leaving other donors to cover the shortfall. The OCHA report praised the government’s handling of the emergency, saying it had provided “realistic” figures. However, a coordination meeting last month with the government, UN agencies, donors and NGOs had concluded that future appeals should distinguish more clearly between short and longer-term needs.