Maputo, 18 Mar (AIM) – A boat loaded with various goods, especially food products, which was going to Ibo Island, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, has sunk in the region of Mujaca, according to Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Moçambique”.
According to the paper, the incident took place on Friday when the boat was sailing from the provincial capital, Pemba, to Ibo.
It was one of four boats authorized by the government to transport food in the face of the crisis that has been plaguing the islands of the Quirimbas archipelago since the terrorist attacks of early March.
As a result of the incident, the boat lost most of its products intended to minimize hunger. But no deaths were recorded.
“They only recovered ten gallons of cooking oil. However, the other three boats going to Matemo arrived without any problems. It was only the boat going to Ibo that sank”, said a local resident.
Another source said that the shipwreck happened at the beginning of Friday night and that the cause was bad weather and poor control of the waves in Mujaca, an area considered dangerous for navigation.
On the islands of Quirimba, Quirambo and the capital of Ibo district, hundreds of people are going hungry due to the lack of food supplies from local traders, a situation made worse by the ban on the movement of civilian boats from those points to the city of Pemba and vice versa, because of the continued presence of terrorists in the area.
“There are days when watermelons and pumpkins are the only meal of the day. The small amount of food that has arrived in recent days, via alternative routes, not only ran out quickly, but has also been sold at speculative prices”, a source said.
Meanwhile, food arrived by ship on Saturday at the town of Mocímboa da Praia, while other shipments are still on the way, local sources confirmed.
“We already have food here in the town. A lot of rice, oil, flour and other products have arrived, but the problem is the price, which is very high”, a source said.
(AIM)
Ad/pf (366)
