As heavy rains across the southern Africa region ease in parts, fears of food shortages and disease outbreaks in the coming months remain, warned Christian Aid this week.
The recent flooding has also highlighted inadequacies in current disaster management country plans, reports Christian Aid’s country manager Salomao Maxaeia from Maputo, Mozambique .
Flooding is an annual threat for poor farmers in the southern Africa region, but it is unusual for the floods to be so bad, so early in the year. Downpours continue in many areas but, with Southern Africa's rainy season lasting until March, the worse could be yet to come.
Mozambique
The recent floods have forced tens of thousands from their homes in central Mozambique, reports Christian Aid’s country office in Maputo. Many families who were permanently relocated following severe flooding of homes and harvests early last year are now having to uproot once again as areas deemed safe from seasonal flood waters have been affected by the recent deluge.
Water levels in four rivers, including the Zambezi, have risen above critical levels and the government has declared a red alert. Sofala and Zambezia province are among the worst affected areas.
Here, Christian Aid partner the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM) is working with people who lost their homes and crops in last year’s floods. CCM has also helped these communities to map safe flood evacuation routes to higher ground.
The danger now is that even some of those higher ‘safe areas’ are under threat from rising flood waters.
Christian Aid is also planning a clean water and sanitation project to help prevent diseases such as cholera and malaria among flood-hit communities along the Zambezi River.
It’s expected that the number of people in need of food and shelter will increase if the rains continue as most people have very few resources to fall back on.
Zambia
