Pungoe river bursts its banks

The Pungoe river in central Mozambique has burst its banks, severing road access between the coastal city of Beira, in Sofala province, and Chimolo west of Beira, a WFP spokesman in Maputo told IRIN on Thursday.

"This is however not particularly unusual for this time of year. WFP field monitors will check the extent of the flooding and any damage caused," Inyene Udoyen said. "We are currently checking reports that the Zangua and Mabaza rivers have flooded affecting the crops of some 700-odd families. The main concern now is Caia (north of Beira) where the river is still rising and Mutarara (on the border with Malawi) where our monitors estimate up to 30,000 people are affected. Food distributions are underway at both places."

Meanwhile news reports quoted officials from the government's disaster management authority as saying that they were "keeping a close watch" on the Zambezi river. Mozambican Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi told a news briefing in Maputo on Thursday that the authorities were experiencing transportation problems. "We are using local resources at the moment," he said, and added that any international appeal for assistance would come after INGC technicians had come up with a precise picture of the situation.

Severe flooding last year forced the Mozambican government to ask for US $500 million for post-flood reconstruction from the international community.