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DW / Prime Minister of Mozambique, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, on his visit to the province of Inhambane
Carlos Agostinho do Rosario has called for a more thorough assessment of the damage caused by the cyclone in Inhambane and criticized the quality of construction work in Mozambique.
The government has assessed the damage at in the region of EUR 12 million.
Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário said at a press conference after visiting cyclone-stricken Inhambane province that measures to address the situation of the affected population and districts should be taken at the local level, but that, given the human and material damage caused by the cyclone, he would ask international partners for help.
“We know what needs to be done immediately, what the province can do with local resources. We will also assess our core capacity and that of our international partners, but also appeal for internal solidarity and to business and civil society, so that we can act more appropriately,” Carlos Agostinho do Rosário said, adding that the Inhambane province government needed to make a more thorough assessment of the damage caused by the cyclone.
Carlos Agostinho do Rosário also cautioned the province’s government and civil servants to take care to prevent the outbreak of disease in the wake of the cyclone. “We recommend that you conduct a more thorough survey in terms of the affected areas, and also ensure that there is water and sanitation so that people do not contract diseases linked to lack of water or untreated water,” he said.
Road quality criticism
On the same day that the government announced that the damage caused by cyclone Dineo in Inhambane amounted to EUR12 million, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário criticized the quality of construction work in southern Mozambique, citing it as one of the causes of the destruction of public infrastructure by the cyclone.
“The big problem is the quality of works. Construction projects have to take into account that, in our country, there will always be cyclones,” he said, adding that the supervision of works should be better. According to Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, “the budget planned for construction is not spent, because the contractors want to keep the money”.
Cyclone catches Maxixe off guard
The cyclone caught Maxixe district administration by surprise, finding it with no financial resources to help those affected. However, according to City of Maxixe administrator Joao Muchine, some aid partners had already sent food products to shelter centres, although in small amounts.
“Tropical cyclone Dineo caught us in a situation where both the government and the city council were not prepared from the point of view of resources to deal with their consequences. I am referring in particular to the families that were left with nothing,” Muchine admitted, adding that he had information that the district would “receive a tiny amount of rice and butter beans”.
Classes interrupted
Classes have also been disrupted in Inhambane. Local governor Daniel Chapo however has promised to provide tents so that lessons can begin again this week.
“Classes are going to be resumed all over the province. Where conditions permit, we will resume normally, and where they do not we are finding alternatives and setting up school tents,” Chapo said. “Our partner, UNICEF, has not yet told us the exact number (of school tents) but said they are already on their way to the province, as well as hospital tents to accommodate patients.”
Many families have been left homeless and are now accommodated in shelters. In an interview with DW Africa, Sofia Joaquim, who is now living in a classroom along with more than 50 people, said she did not know what her future held. “We have only had the support of one room, where there are about 50 of us. Where we go from here, we don’t know,” she said.
Number of victims may increase
According to official figures, Cyclone Dineo destroyed 106 public buildings, 70 hospital units, 998 classrooms, three communication towers and 48 electricity substations.
Spokesman for the National Institute of Disaster Management Paulo Tomás warns however that the number of people affected may increase. According to Tomás, one of the main problems in data collection has been communication, since contact with teams on the ground is currently constrained.
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