MOZAMBIQUE FLOODING CATASTROPHE The flooding crisis in Mozambique did not take the world by surprise. It had been forecast since the beginning of February as freak weather and rains threatened the whole region. The floods have caused great devastation carrying away roads, bridges, buses and many towns have been half-submerged in water.
It is estimated that 70 have lost their lives and 300,000 people have become homeless or lost their livelihoods since the combined waters from the Limpopo, the Sabie and the Komati rivers broke their banks and washed into southern Mozambique. This was made worse by the heavy rains in South Africa and Zimbabwe, caused partly by Cyclone Eline which struck the centre of Mozambique, bringing another rush of water into the area, although the Cyclone itself caused comparatively little damage. The main Camp at Chacalane, 20,000 people are sheltering in very poor conditions and at least 150 children are without their families.
Maputo, Mozambique
Coventry's River: City Centre: Flood Level, St Joh...
The Limpopo River, in southern Mozambique, during ...The Limpopo river normally gives an annual blessing of fresh silt water to the area, now the country's crops have been completely destroyed and they will have to start again from scratch which will take one or two years to get a decent crop, as the soil should be very fertile after the flood has dried up. This area which is usually the breadbasket of Mozambique and one of Africa's most promising economies, recovering after the scourge of civil war is again resorting to emergency food aid.
Recent reports from Maputo, the Capital of Mozambique have said that the people who have survived the flood waters so far will succumb to diseases like cholera, dysentery and malaria as clean water is scarce, and also malnutrition if they do not get help soon. The World Organisation have warned that 800,000 people are at risk from...