US donates a million dollars for flood relief

Maputo, 26 Jan (AIM) – The United States government on Monday announced a grant of a million dollars in emergency assistance to the victims of the devastating floods that have hit parts of southern and central Mozambique.

A message published by the US State Department through the official Facebook page of the US embassy said that the aid is intended to provide food and clean drinking water, as well as sanitation and health services for the neediest people in the flood-stricken areas.

“We express our solidarity with the Mozambican people and we are accompanying the situation in coordination with the Mozambican government, supporting efforts to protect communities and save lives”, declared the American statement.

The official Mozambican data put the number of people affected by the floods at over 121,000.

Since the start of the rainy season on 1 October, there have been 112 deaths, and a further 86 people have been injured. The largest single cause of death has been lightning strikes during thunderstorms. 49 people died of lightning strikes (over 53 per cent of the deaths registered so far).

Other causes of death were drowning in the swollen rivers, a cholera outbreak, mainly in Nampula province, the collapse of flimsy houses, blown down in the storms, and electrocution from electricity cables knocked down by the winds.
(AIM)
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