Numbers of flood victims set to rise

The number of people at risk from flooding in central Mozambique looks set to rise, humanitarian officials told IRIN on Wednesday. The government had initially said that 105,000 people were caught in the danger zone of the flooded Zambezi valley. However, the governor of Sofala province said on Tuesday that 80,000 people in his region alone were at risk. “I’m waiting to hear from the government, but I would think that 105,000 people would be a very low estimate,” a UN humanitarian official said. So far, 80,000 people have been evacuated over the past three weeks from the Zambezi river valley, which cuts through the provinces of Tete, Sofala, Manica and Zambezia. According to the latest OCHA situation report, released on Tuesday, evacuees are being accommodated mostly in camps and accommodation centres in Caia, Chemba and Mutarara. Three accommodation centres have been established in Caia where, as of Monday, some 13,100 people had been registered. The National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) said that as many as 18,400 people were displaced throughout the district. The Cahora Bassa dam authorities have over the past few weeks tried to limit the flow of water into the Zambezi to give the rescue effort more time, but with the dam full, the discharge rate is set to increase. Beyond the Zambezi river valley, there are also “problems” further north in Zambezia and in southern Sofala, with water levels in the Pungoe, Licungo and Save rivers being “watched”, humanitarian sources said. However, the evacuation process is hampered by a lack of aircraft and equipment, aid workers warned. The INGC is using one helicopter for assessments and one Mi-8 from the Mozambican Air Force to transport relief items. Small boats operated by the Mozambican navy are undertaking most of the evacuations, the OCHA report said. The UK Department of International Development (DFID) has provided two Puma helicopters, one in Beira and the other in Quelimane. WFP has one Puma helicopter operational and one Buffalo helicopter on stand-by. USAID was to provide one Caravan aircraft as of Wednesday. A South African Air Force assessment mission, delayed by bad weather, was due to complete a tour of the hardest-hit stretches of the Zambezi on Wednesday. Beyond equipment, “cash contributions are urgently needed for support to evacuation and delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the OCHA situation report stressed. On 21 February the Mozambique government launched a US $30 million appeal for international assistance. Detailed requirements are to be outlined in Maputo on Thursday. Meanwhile, a UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal is in the process of being formulated to complement the efforts of the Mozambican government. On 21 February, the Portuguese Institute for Cooperation announced that it would provide US $250,000 towards the relief effort. The German government has provided the equivalent of US $500,000. Half of this contribution was made through the German Red Cross to ensure the availability of drugs, blankets, tents and basic utensils while the rest was given to World Vision International and the Maltese Aid Agency to cover drugs and much needed health equipment, the OCHA report said. Between 21 and 22 February, the United States allocated a total of US $120,000 to support the costs for air assessment and humanitarian assistance logistics.