Maputo — The United Nations is working with the Mozambican government to deliver humanitarian aid to those hit by flooding in the Limpopo basin in the southern province of Gaza.

According to a UN press release, flooding has led to the death of 26 people in Gaza province, with 48,796 sheltering in six accommodation centres in the province.

Chokwe and Guija are the hardest hit districts.

The UN added that “the total number affected in Gaza Province is 65,000, but this number may potentially reach 100,000 according to government field sources, as water levels continue to rise in the nearby coastal city of Xai-Xai”.

The main focus of the humanitarian effort is on providing drinking water, food and shelter for those displaced.

An appeal is being prepared in conjunction with the Mozambican government asking for donors to release funds immediately. According to the UN the minimum needed is 15 million US dollars, although it is expected that this amount will rise as the emergency develops.

The UN calculates that 11,600 people have been affected by flooding in Manica province and a further 5,222 in Maputo city. Almost two thousand people have been affected in Zambezia province.

In total, across the country just under 85,000 people have been affected by flooding with 36 deaths and 68,000 people being displaced.