At least 66 killed in Mozambique floods

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At least 66 killed in Mozambique floods

12:52 CAT | 13 Mar 2019

Photo: Twitter / @IOM_Mozambique

At least 66 people have been killed and 141,000 affected after heavy rains deluged central and northern Mozambique, the government has said as it appealed for funds to manage the crisis.

“The government has decreed a red alert due to the continuing rains and the approach of the tropical cyclone Idai, expected to reach the country between Thursday to Friday,” said cabinet spokeswoman Ana Comoana.

She spoke to reporters late Tuesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in Maputo to discuss the deadly flooding.

The floods in one of Africa’s poorest countries have already destroyed 5,756 homes, affecting 15,467 households and 141,325 people.

There are 111 people with injuries, 18 hospitals destroyed, 938 classrooms destroyed, and 9,763 students affected.

More than 168,000 hectares of crops were also destroyed, the government spokeswoman added.

Authorities have ordered the compulsory evacuation of people living in flood-prone areas.

“Sixteen accommodation centers have been opened in the provinces of Zambezia and Tete to accommodate the displaced,” Comoana said.

“The government needs 1.1 billion meticais (16 million dollars) to assist 80,000 families affected by the rains.”

Mozambique is prone to cyclones, floods, and droughts, and floods in 2000 claimed at least 800 lives while more than 100 were killed in 2015.

Floods have already claimed 30 lives and left over 230,000 people without shelter in southern Malawi, which borders Mozambique.

The bridge is gone and the access to our project in Ndande gets complicated @europeaid pic.twitter.com/sIaoQwHuIL

— IOM Mozambique (@IOM_Mozambique) March 11, 2019

On 9 March heavy rains caused flooding along the coast of Mozambique??
Our service was activated by @wfp_mozambique for emergency map production. The delineation map over the Beira shows 1,187 ha (11.9 km2) of the area flooded
ℹ️Information Bulletin: https://t.co/6Xy1dxJ1Yc pic.twitter.com/cpLGJC25X3

— Copernicus EMS (@CopernicusEMS) March 13, 2019