Mozambique Flood Victims Face Rebuilding After Devastating Losses

Flooding Hits Southern and Central Provinces of Mozambique

At least 150 people have been killed and approximately 800,000 affected by severe flooding in the southern and central provinces of Mozambique. The floods, which began in late December and continued into January, were caused by heavy rainfall that overwhelmed the Limpopo River, which flows from neighboring South Africa.

According to Emilia Machel, a resident of Chokwe in Mozambique’s Gaza Province, her hometown was already flooded when she arrived at the Chiaquelane site for displaced people on January 17. The area had previously experienced devastating floods in 2000 and again in 2013, prompting Machel to return with her family.

The flooding has resulted in widespread damage, with hundreds of millions of dollars lost in destroyed infrastructure. Large areas remain flooded, making it difficult for humanitarian workers to assess the situation. The government has reported that many people are still stranded and need rescuing.

Mozambique’s weather agency, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INAM), has warned that moderate rain is expected to continue in the northern provinces. Paula Fonseca, a businesswoman in Gaza Province, reports that her restaurant building remains underwater, while hundreds of hectares of farming land and food storage barns have been washed out.

The Matola municipality in Maputo Province experienced severe urban flooding, with thousands of households forced to move to accommodation centers. In the capital city, Maputo, there are still impassable areas and homes beneath water.

Machel’s experience is not unique, as many residents have reported being affected by the floods. The current floods may be among the worst in decades, although it is yet to be established whether they surpass previous benchmarks such as those set in 1977 and 2000.

Source: Al Jazeera