Maputo — The United Sates has promised to assist the Mozambican government in post-flood reconstruction, particularly in Chokwe, Guija and Xai-Xai districts, the areas most severely affected by flooding on the Limpopo River.

This pledge was given at a press conference in Maputo on Friday by US Ambassador Douglas Griffiths, who just returned from a visit to the Limpopo valley.

Griffiths said that the US is also mobilising its partners to provide the assistance required to help people in the flood-stricken areas return to their normal lives.

“The reconstruction phase is very important and the United States will help the government support the victims in order to normalise their lives”, he said. “For example, the people will need agricultural inputs in order to resume production, and we are seeing, together with our partners, how we can help”.

Griffiths said he had been impressed with the organisation of the temporary accommodation centres set up by the government, with the spirit of mutual help among the flood victims, and with the government’s efforts to provide them with better conditions.

He was pleased that the aid the US has already sent to support the victims is indeed reaching its intended destination.

“We saw good leadership given by the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC – the Mozambican relief agency)”, the ambassador said. “The centres are organised, the people are organizing themselves, and this is what impresses me about Mozambicans. Yesterday we saw aid arriving for affected people in remote areas, and we are satisfied with this”.

For her part, the director of the Maputo office of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Polly Dunford, said “the INGC’s organisation for responding to an emergency situation was much better this year than in previous years. We are seeing progress, but we have to look at the preventive aspects and we are willing to help the Mozambican government and people in this aspect”.

The US has already made available 1.7 million dollars worth of aid for the flood victims, in the shape of food, water purification and sanitation equipment, tents and support for managing the accommodation centres.