from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
Mozambique Bureau
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – FLOODS and lightning have left at least 21 people dead and displaced over 5 000 others in disaster-prone Mozambique.
Incessant rainfall has battered the Southern African country between late December and the current month, January.
Lightning strikes have caused at least ten fatalities.
The flooding is most prevalent in the provinces of Manica, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete and Zambézia.
Currently, 5 727 people are sheltered in temporary accommodation centres.
In total, 50 293 hectares of cropland have been affected.
Hydrological authorities have warned of a heightened risk of flooding affecting agricultural land, riverside communities and road infrastructure, particularly in several river basins across Inhambane province, with possible impacts also extending to Gaza province.
“Weather forecasts indicate the continued likelihood of heavy rainfall, which may further exacerbate flooding and displacement, particularly in riverine and coastal districts,” said a spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Humanitarian partners, including the Mozambique Red Cross, UN Children’s Fund and Plan International are supporting government-led efforts through joint assessments, distribution of relief items, deployment of mobile teams and pre‑positioning of sanitation, shelter and protection supplies across the most affected districts.
Mozambique is prone to cyclones, including Idai, the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere.
Idai left more than 900 people dead in Mozambique.
– CAJ News