Maputo, 3 Apr (AIM) – The death toll from the floods caused by the torrential rains of 24-25 March (which reached 300 millimeters in 48 hours) that hit southern Mozambique, especially Maputo city and Province, has risen to nine.
According to government spokesperson, Deputy Justice Minister Filimão Suaze, who was speaking to reporters on Tuesday, in Maputo, at the end of a meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the floods also injured 17 people and affected almost 100,000 people.
The torrential rain flooded 20,023 houses. The rains completely destroyed 99 houses and damaged a further 173.
Suaze announced that the rains had also affected 63 schools, destroying 113 classrooms. This resulting in 78,627 pupils missing classes, and affected 1,907 teachers.
“61 health centers have suffered and we have around 13,584 hectares of various crops that have also been flooded”, he said. The rains had damaged around 265 kilometers of roads.
As for assistance to those affected, Suaze said that the National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD), the country’s relief agency, is working on the ground to provide support to the victims.
“The INGD has been working hard, with government funds as well as with the support of its partners, to deal with what is possible. The best thing would be for us to have zero deaths, zero injuries, zero flooded houses, zero destroyed roads, but you have to understand that nowhere in the world is 100 percent secure”, he said.
He guaranteed that the government has played its role within the limits of the available human and financial conditions and “will continue to improve the capacities that we have installed at the moment.”
(AIM)
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