Mocumbi says 84 people died in floods

The confirmed death toll from the floods in central Mozambique now stands at 84, Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi told parliament in Maputo on Tuesday. Mocumbi said that 42,000 hectares of crops were lost, affecting the livelihood of 60,000 households, during the flooding. He added that the floods had forced 183 primary schools to close, disrupting education of 52,500 pupils. “The government prioritised immediate aid to the people affected in order to save lives by organising and supplying them with accommodation centres,” he said. Mocumbi said that more than 3,000 people had been rescued with over 200,000 displaced. He said that with the rainy season ending, the government would direct its efforts to resettling people in their home areas where possible, or in other safer areas.