Thousands need emergency food aid in nothern Mozambique due to floods

More than 23,000 people are in need of emergency food aid in the northern Mozambican provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula, hit by flooding due to ongoing heavy rains, according to local officials on Wednesday.

The rains have been falling since October in the former Portuguese colony. The calamity has destroyed hundreds of homes in the two regions.

In Cabo Delgado, officials have appealed to people in the Messalo, Megaruma and Muaguide river areas to take precaution measures and avoid crossing the rivers.

Two more deaths were reported in Cabo Delgado, bringing to 35 the death toll since October 2015.

According to the Technical Council for Disaster Management (CTGC) in Niassa province, 2,486 people are affected by the rains, with 164 houses completely destroyed and 313 damaged.

In Cabo Delgado, 3,010 are affected by the rains, with 159 houses completely destroyed and 433 houses and a school damaged.

According to the Bulletin of the National Directorate of Water Resources Management, the Ligonha river in Boror, the Lurio in Muite and Namapa stations, the Meluli river in Meluli, the Montepuez in Mecuia and the Megaruma river in Megaruma are all registering a slight rise in levels, but below alert levels.

As foreseen, Nampula has the most people affected by the rainy season. According to Radio Mozambique, 7,095 people are in need of assistance and a record so far of 630 houses damaged and 820 partially destroyed.

A health unit was affected by heavy rains, which destroyed 27 classrooms partially.

Poor sanitation and chronic shortage of drinking water are contributing to an increase in cases of diarrhea. In the first weeks of 2016, 2,024 diarrhea cases were recorded, mostly affecting children. So far nobody has died. Enditem