Mozambique needs over 12 mln USD for disaster relief

Mozambique needs 12.6 million U.S. dollars to assist natural disaster victims across the country for the next six months, Mozambican National Disasters Management Institute (INGC) has said.

Paulo Tomas, spokesperson for the INGC Technical Disasters Management Council, told Xinhua Saturday that the amount is for the assistance to 202,000 people affected by the calamities.

Nearly 500,000 people have been affected by floods and drought across the southern African country.

Floods, especially in the north, killed dozens of people, devastated hectares of planted fields and inflicted heavy destruction of infrastructures.

Tomas said the INGC needs to secure 11,000 tons of cereals and 1,000 tons of beans for the floods affected people.

Meanwhile, drought hit hard the country's southern region due to the effect of El Nino.

According to Tomas, the southern province of Gaza is the most hit by the drought, where around 200,000 people are at risk of facing severe food insecurity. The provinces of Maputo and Inhambane are also facing the same situation.

Lack of rains in the south will prevail until June, and the INGC will monitor the situation, to see if there is a need to launch an appeal locally and internationally, said the spokesperson.

This year's drought is reportedly to be the worst ever since Mozambique's independence in 1975. Enditem