Donors exceed target for flood reconstruction

International donors exceeded expectations in Rome on Thursday pledging US $452.9 million, nearly US $3 million more than the government of Mozambique had initially asked for.

“This is a good day for Mozambique, a good day for Africa, and a good day for development cooperation,” Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in a statement.

Some of the major donors were the United States which contributed over US $130 million, the European Union which gave US $60 million, the Netherlands US $45 million, the United Kingdom US $44.8 million and Japan US $30 million.

The funds were pledged entirely in grant terms, which means that the money will not have to be repaid. The first part of the aid, US $100 million, is expected to be disbursed by the end of May, while the rest will be distributed over the next year mostly going to small projects According to Malloch Brown, Mozambique’s reputation for political and economic reform led to the response. “This is an extraordinary vote of donor confidence for Africa because it shows that donors will be consistent supporters of bold, sustained reform in the continent.”

Participants at the Rome conference included representatives of the governments of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Zimbabwe, the Commission of European Communities, the South African Development Bank, the World Bank, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), IMF, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, ENGEN Petroleum-Mozambique, and the Africa Development Bank.

The floods in February and March claimed 650 lives and left more than half a million people homeless.