17 July 2007
Maputo — Many of the victims of flooding earlier this year in the basins of the Zambezi and Buzi rivers are still living "in deplorable conditions", months after the waters subsided, according to Mozambique's Deputy Minister of Public Works, Gabriel Muthisse.
Speaking at a press conference in Beira on Saturday, Muthisse, who had just returned from a trip to the two river valleys, said "people are still living under very difficult conditions, because they're in tents and in shelters that I can't even describe as cabins".
Nonetheless, Muthisse was optimistic that the resettlement of flood victims would eventually be successful. Plots of land had now been allocated to all the families concerned, and the phase of building definitive new homes had begun.
Muthisse put the number of people affected by the Zambezi and Buzi floods at 163,000. Of this number, 64,000 {12,000 households} needed resettlement in ten districts - Mopeia, Morrumbala, Chinde and Nicoadala {in Zambezia province}, Caia, Marromeu and Chemba {in Sofala}, Mutarara and Zumbo {in Tete}, and Tambara {in Manica}.
He said the government has made kits of building materials available at each of the places where land has been distributed to flood victims. The government had 123 million meticais {about 4.8 million US dollars} available for this building programme.
The government will provide the cement, the roofing, and other materials, but it is up to each household to build its own home, in places that are not regularly threatened with flooding.
"The programme will be a success", claimed Muthisse, "because what we want is to reduce drastically the number of people vulnerable to flooding, who will instead be in safe resettlement areas".
"This is an ambitious urbanization programme", he added, pointing out that the government will provide the sanitation system for the resettlement areas, as well as schools and other social infrastructure.
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