Maputo — Living conditions for flood victims in Govuro district, in the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane, are far from desirable, admitted the Minister of State Administration, Lucas Chomera, speaking on Friday to Mozambican Television (TVM).

On Thursday Chomera, who is deputy chairperson of the National Disasters Coordinating Council, visited two transit centres for people who had lost their homes when the Save river overwhelmed much of Nova Mambone, the Govuro district capital.

The Save is no longer in flood, and the government's attentions are now concentrated on re-establishing communications, both in Govuru and in the neighbouring district of Machanga (on the north bank of the river), and in channeling humanitarian assistance to the victims.

The two transit centres are the temporary home to 1,850 households (about 5,000 people). "The conditions in the centres are not good", said Chomera, but at least "the district authorities are aware of this fact and of the need to resettle the people affected definitively".

To this end, so far 600 plots of land have been demarcated on which the flood victims can build new homes. So far 180 families have been resettled there.

But this may have been premature. For the water table in this area is high, which will make it difficult to dig latrines. The families concerned will therefore have to be settled further away from the river, on relatively high and dry land.

"Community leaders are working to persuade people to stay in the transit centres for the time being, prior to definitive resettlement", said Chomera.

In post-flood reconstruction, resources will be available to build improved houses, promised the Minister. While the victims would be expected to make their own bricks, other building materials (such as windows, doors and cement) would be acquired under the reconstruction programme.

The idea, according to Chomera, is not to return to the situation prior to the floods, but to improve living conditions, ensuring that the flood victims can continue to farm or engage in other income generating activities, and that basic social requirements such as education, health care and clean drinking water are available.