Over 300,000 people affected by disasters this year – Government

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Over 300,000 people affected by disasters this year – Government

4:47 CAT | 18 Mar 2016

RFi (File photo)

About 270,000 people are affected by the drought in southern and central Mozambique, and a further 32,000 have been hit by flooding in the northern provinces, according to the government spokesperson, Deputy Health Minister Mouzinho Saide.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, after the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), Saide said that the storms and high winds in the north had injured 157 people, and a total of 32,147 people were regarded as affected.

The storms had destroyed 4,910 houses and left a further 175 submerged. They had also damaged 303 classrooms and ten health units.

The drought had affected many more people. So far, just under 270,000 people in Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane provinces in the south, and in Manica, Sofala and Tete in the centre of the country had been hit by the drought, which has badly damaged the prospects for this year’s harvest.

Saide said the government’s projections are for a grain deficit in the south of the country. But in the north, and in parts of the central provinces, the prospects are for a good maize harvest, though lower than last year’s.

In the first 15 days of March, Saide added, the government had distributed 1,910 tonnes of food aid to the victims of these natural disasters. In the second half of the month, a further 1,165 tonnes will be distributed.

Other crops were not as badly affected as maize or rice. Saide said that there is a trend to increased production of cassava, beans, soya and groundnuts.

But the drought has seriously affected livestock farming. At least 4,372 head of cattle have died, and Saide warned that this could lead to reduce supplies of meat.

Source: AIM