Disaster agency prepared to face coming rainy season

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Disaster agency prepared to face coming rainy season

8:43 CAT | 22 Aug 2016

AIM (File photo) / (SETSAN) will coordinate a plan of assistance for 1.49 million people from September to November. Between March and July, CENOE assisted about a million people, distributing 13,000 tonnes of food in the southern provinces of Gaza, Inhambane and Maputo, and Sofala, Tete, Manica and Zambezia in the centre of the country.

The Emergency Operational Centre (CENOE), the operational wing of the Mozambican relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), announced on Friday that it is prepared to face any possible disasters that may be brought by the 2016/2017 rainy season, which begins in October.

So far there are no forecasts for the next rainy season. The official forecast for Mozambique will only be announced in the first half of September, through the Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF).

Speaking at a Maputo press conference after a CENOE meeting, the organisation’s spokesperson, Paulo Tomas, pointed out that the contingency plan for 2015/2016 is still in force. The level of readiness, he said, “cold be updated taking into account what will be announced”.

He said CENOE already has human resources and equipment ready to respond in the event of any disaster. An analysis has been made of key institutions, and the actions that each sector could undertake during the rainy season. These institutions include the Health and Agriculture Ministries, the National Meteorology Institute, and the National Hydrography and Shipping Institute.

Six mobile bridges, other movable platforms and four boats are being imported, Tomas said, to cope with possible damage to roads and bridges during the rainy season. “These metallic bridges can be used if roads are cut, or bridges swept away, allowing vehicles, people and goods to cross from one point to the other”, he added.

Tomas said that currently CENOE is distributing 4,000 tonnes of grain to about 600,000 victims of natural disasters (mainly the drought that struck much of southern and central Mozambique earlier this year).

The Health Ministry, he added, is continuing to monitor cases of malnutrition, in drought-hit areas, particularly among women and children. So far there were no signs of any acute malnutrition, but greater attention should be paid to the central provinces of Manica and Tete.

Tomas announced that the Food and Nutritional Security Technical Secretariat (SETSAN) will coordinate a plan of assistance for 1.49 million people from September to November.

Between March and July, CENOE assisted about a million people, distributing 13,000 tonnes of food in the southern provinces of Gaza, Inhambane and Maputo, and Sofala, Tete, Manica and Zambezia in the centre of the country.

Source: AIM