Mozambique: More than three thousand people are in reception centers in the City of Maputo due to floods

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Mozambique: More than three thousand people are in reception centers in the City of Maputo due to floods

10:02 CAT | 22 Apr 2024

File photo: O Pais

More than three thousand people are in 21 reception centers still open in the City of Maputo due to urban flooding.

Some families have been in these places for over two years and are asking for permanent resettlement.

The rains of 2023 and 2024 pushed many families into these reception centers in the City of Maputo. Some have been living in these places for two years.

Flood victims say that the conditions in the reception centers are acceptable, but nothing compares to being at home.

“I’ve been in the reception center for a year. I sleep in the tent. I ended up here because my house is flooded. Regarding the conditions, we can’t complain. We can eat, shower, and sleep. But nothing compares to being at home. But what can we do?” Fernando Mandlate recounted resignedly.

It’s in these reception centers where various families, different stories, and a common denominator of being driven to this place by the fury of Mother Nature intersect.

“As my house is disappearing with the zinc sheets, what should I do with the children my deceased husband left me with? Since the heavy rain fell until today, the water continues to fill (the backyards), and we don’t know where it comes from? The houses are getting flooded,” described Alice Machava, also a flood victim.

In the reception centers, families say they are vulnerable to various situations and diseases.

“The tents we have here in the center are damaged. If you see black spots on them, they are tarps from the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) that we use to make bathrooms to shelter from the rain. Even if we can eat, it doesn’t help if our hearts are not at peace. There are threats of diseases. Yesterday (Friday), we were worried because one of us had diarrhea and vomiting. We don’t know what disease it was. If it was cholera, we would all be in trouble,” narrated another victim, speaking anonymously.

The solution for these families is permanent resettlement. “In this resettlement process, they should give us houses. It’s not enough to parcel out land and put up tents. I, for example, had a type-three house. So, it makes no sense to receive a tent in the resettlement,” Fernando Mandlate stated.

So far, there is no clear date or conditions for the removal of families from the reception centers.

“If they really want to help us, they should organize the resettlement site. In my case, for example, my husband passed away last August. Being here, in the reception center, there is no one to help me. They say we should handle the land use rights (DUAT) for the new space, and it costs about a thousand meticais. We don’t have that money because we don’t have a business, and we don’t have the means for it,” added another victim in anonymity at the reception center.

Concerns about resettlement also include school-age children. “We would like to know if there are schools nearby in the places they want to take us,” expressed concern Lucrência Muchanga, a student at the reception center.

In total, there are 863 families, equivalent to 3141 people, in 21 reception centers open in the City of Maputo due to urban floods caused by the rains of 2023 and 2024.

The KaMavota municipal district has the highest number of reception centers, with 10, housing families from seven neighborhoods, namely Hulene A and B, Mahotas, Ferroviário, 03 de Fevereiro, Costa do Sol, and Mavalane A.

KaMubukwana has eight reception centers, sheltering families from six neighborhoods: Magoanine A, Luís Cabral, Zimpeto, Magoanine C, 25 de Junho A and B, and Inhagoia A.

There are also reception centers open in KaMaxaquene, Nlhamankulu, KaTembe, and KaNyaka.

Without recording an interview, the INGD revealed that these centers will not be closed until there is a definitive resettlement of the affected families in safe areas because pumping water from their old neighborhoods has proved ineffective.

Source: O Pais