Government plans recovery and reconstruction plan- AIM Report

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Government plans recovery and reconstruction plan- AIM Report

10:52 CAT | 29 Mar 2019

in file CoM

Mozambican Foreign Minister Jose Pacheco announced on Wednesday that the government intends to draw up an overall Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, to be implemented in the second phase of assistance to the victims of cyclone Idai which this month struck the central province of Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambezia.

Pacheco was explaining the government’s plans at a meeting in Maputo with the diplomatic corps accredited in Mozambique. He thought it’s essential that the government and its partners find the most appropriate way of launching the recovery plan as soon as possible.

During the meeting the Minister noted that on Tuesday the United Nations had launched, in the ruined city of Beira, a “Flash Appeal” intended to raise rapidly about 282 million dollars for the current emergency phase.

Speaking for the diplomats, Palestinian ambassador Fayez Jawad expressed the solidarity of the diplomatic corps, and its willingness to provide support to alleviate the suffering of the cyclone victims.

They regarded it as “a moral and humanitarian duty” to do everything possible to provide food, medical and other assistance to the victims.

Mozambican Finance Minister Adriano Maleiane, cited by the independent television station STV, said the government’s appeal to the international community could be for around 500 million US dollars.

“It’s still very early to talk about the costs of the disaster”, said Maleiane. “In the floods of 2000, for example, the needs were 500 million dollars. But if we look at cyclone Idai, which was much more devastating, the numbers could be higher”.

He said the government and its partners are still assessing the damage. “Right now, we are prioritising the phase of emergency assistance”, he stressed. “Then we will move onto the reconstruction of the infrastructures, and finally to the phase of medium to long term prevention”.

As for insurance against natural disasters, a proposal floated by President Filipe Nyusi last week, Maleiane said that would depend on creating a Disaster Fund, operating independently of the state budget.

Source: AIM