Rains, floods continue over large parts

Heavy rains and floods have continued over large parts of Zimbabwe, affecting more than 30,000 people, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday. The Zimbabwean government has appealed for US $2.34 million in emergency assistance, OCHA said in its latest situation report.The Mashonoland Central province in the northeast of the country had “suffered the worst[flooding] to date” because of its proximity to the major river systems of the Zambezi river and the “back flow” from the Cahora Bassa dam in Mozambique, OCHA said. Meanwhile, in its update on Monday the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) in Zimbabwe said flooding in the Muzarabani district of Mashonoland Central province had caused “immense destruction to crops”. It said the value of the damage was not yet known and that assessments were still taking place. “The Air Force of Zimbabwe is currently airlifting food and non-food relief to inaccessible areas,” the update said. It added that Save the Children’s Fund - UK (SCF-UK) had so far donated US $36,000 in relief items. The CPU said that in the Mashonaland West, Midlands and Matabeleland provinces a number of low-lying bridges and earth roads had become impassable, making access to affected populations difficult. Meanwhile in its update on Mozambique, OCHA said that showers would continue in the provinces of Niassa, Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Tete at least until 17 March. It added that rainfalls in neighbouring countries may further increase the level of the Zambezi river and that as of Saturday the water levels in Zumbo, Tete, Mutarara, Caia and Marromeu in the Zambezi river basin were above “flood alert”. “The latest figures released by the government show 89,894 people displaced and 494,500 affected in the four provinces if Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia. 75 deaths were registered,” said OCHA. It added that relief efforts were concentrated on the evacuation of people and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who had displaced. The report noted that the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States had pledged or provided cash and or in-kind contributions bilaterally or through non-governmental organisation or the UN. The OCHA situation reports on Mozambique and Zimbabwe can be found at: HTTP://WWW.RELIEFWEB.INT