Mozambique: Death toll from cyclone reaches 20 – AIM report

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Mozambique: Death toll from cyclone reaches 20 – AIM report

7:52 CAT | 28 Jan 2022

Photo: Lusa

20 people have so far been confirmed dead and 196 others injured, after the passage of tropical cyclone Ana across northern and central Mozambique on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the latest report by the Mozambican government’s relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD), nine people died in Zambezia province, five in Tete, three in Manica and three in Sofala,

In the four most affected provinces, 5,136 houses were totally destroyed. 13,337 were damaged, and almost 5,000 were flooded. The INGD has opened 20 accommodation centres which are sheltering 10,814 people.

The report also indicated that there are 13 health units affected, and 543 classrooms in 249 schools. The situation will have an impact on almost 47,000 pupils, as the school year is scheduled to start on Monday across the country. Some schools have been turned into accommodation centres. The tropical storm also devastated 23 water supply systems.

Assessment results about roads were still sketchy, but the INGD report now estimates that about 1,048 kilometres of road were affected by the storm, which also brought down 144 electricity pylons and flooded 37,930 hectares of farmland.

Technical staff on the ground are continuing to assess the necessary conditions for the return of the affected families, so as to avoid concentrating people in the accommodation centres.

“We believe that over the next few days the number of displaced people will reduce, as a result of the work underway on the ground,” INGD spokesperson, Paulo Tomas said, adding that if conditions are not yet favourable in their places of origin, the affected will remain in the centres.

In a bid to ensure access and communications, the INGD and the National Roads Administration (ANE) are already assessing conditions for setting up metal bridges in places where concrete bridges have collapsed.

Source: AIM