by Bayano Valy – SANF 06 No 3
The heavy rains and storms that recently buffeted parts of central and northern Mozambique have again exposed the vulnerability of the country and the surrounding areas to the weak elements in disaster preparedness.
The areas hit most are Buzi and Dondo in the central Sofala province, and in the northern province of Nampula. At least 13 people died in Buzi, eight of whom were struck by lightning. The other five drowned in the ensuing floods.
Several houses were damaged when storms off the Channel of Mozambique hit the mainland, leaving thousands of families homeless in Nampula, the central provinces of Manica and Tete, and southern Gaza.
In the central city of Beira in Sofala province, the rains flooded large areas of low-lying neighbourhoods, forcing families to flee into relatives’ homes, churches and schools.
Over 4,000 hectares of crops were submerged in the Pungué Valley, also in Sofala province. The crops belonged to an estimated 520 households who now need about a tonne of maize seed to replant.
The rains cut off Buzi district from the rest of the country for several days. It was impossible for any vehicle to drive the 70 kilometres from Buzi town to Tica on the main Beira-Zimbabwe highway.
Government has strongly suggested to the peasant farmers to plant on higher ground because the weather forecasts suggest a further heavy downpour.
The current trend of rainfall dovetails with forecasts made last year by regional meteorologists of normal rainfall in the first quarter of 2006.
The National Water Board (DNA) has indicated that major rivers in the region, namely the Zambezi, the Pungué, and the Licungo, remained below flood alert levels.
However, there were concerns in recent weeks when 112mm of rain fell in the upper Zambézia and the Licungo rose to 4.54 metres, well above the flood alert level of 3.5 metres. But there was relief when the river subsided and reached 2.44 metres.
The Zambezi river also remains well below flood alert level, but is rising gradually at Mutarara in Tete province, and further downstream at Marromeu in Sofala. This rising downstream is mainly blamed on the Shire and Revobue rivers, the major tributaries of the Zambezi river, whereas upstream swelling is due to rains in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
The Pungué is still said to be well below flood alert level. But the authorities have continued warning people from going to the low-lying areas or planting near river basins.
Although rains have also been falling in the south of the country, the DNA says that levels of the main rivers such as the Incomati, the Limpopo and the Save are currently not worth worrying over.
However, rains in the south have caused landslides between Mabalane and Combomune, in Gaza province, cutting off the railroad from Maputo to Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the Natural Disaster Coordinating Council (CCGC), a state body comprising various ministries, said about 1.2 million people are likely to suffer from the effects of flooding, the bulk of whom are in the central region.
Paulo Zicula, executive director of the Natural Disaster Management Institute (INGC) said although people have died and there was damage to property, the situation could not be described as a national emergency yet.
Zucula said the Mozambican government had put in place a national contingency plan to the tune of US$24 million for the disaster. About 12 percent of the amount has been disbursed from public funds, and it is hoped that the remainder will be provided by the cooperating partners.
CCGC and INGC staff have been visiting the affected areas to assess the needs of the population.
The state of alert will prevail until March, when the critical period of both rains and cyclones is hoped to end.
