Floods in Mozambique

Moz Gaza 
Jan 26th 2013: Thirty-six people have been killed and almost 70,000 displaced by rains and floods in Mozambique, the United Nations says.  "A total of 26 persons have died in (the worst affected southern province of) Gaza alone, with the nationwide death toll at 36," the UN mission in Mozambique said in a statement on Friday.

As many as 67,995 people have been displaced and about 85,000 affected by the flooding in the impoverished southeastern African nation, the statement added.  The UN said it would appeal to its donors to urgently arrange funds "to help deal with this emergency," which started on January 12, when the Limpopo River swelled, prompting an orange alert in the country.  The overflow in the 1,750-kilometer river was caused by week-long heavy rains in neighboring South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The flood waters are still wreaking havoc across the south of Mozambique. International aid agencies and the Mozambican government are struggling to contain the humanitarian disaster.  

Joao Carlos, a government spokesman, said on Friday that flood waters in the coastal tourist city of Xai-Xai were expected to rise up to eight meters (26 feet).  "The water is coming into the city. It is just starting. Some roads in the lower part of town are under water… The situation is not very good,” the official stated.  Rising waters in the provincial capital Xai-Xai would cut the main road connection between the north and south of Mozambique.  "Private and commercial services have been evacuated from the lower parts of the city to higher areas," said police spokeswoman Sylvia Paolo.  "The population obeyed the calls for them to leave risk areas," she added.

These floods are effecting the southern part of Mozambique.  Our Congregation is working on the outskirts of the capitol city Maputo and in central Mozambique close to Malawi.