Caia, Mozambique — President Joaquim Chissano on Thursday expressed concern at the flooding in central Mozambique, after over-flying some of the worst affected areas, in the Zambezi and Pungue valleys.
After landing at Caia, the town on the south bank of the Zambezi from which rescue operations are being coordinated, Chissano said the most worrying factor is that it is continuing to rain heavily, not only in Mozambique, but also in the neighbouring countries where the rivers that cross central Mozambique originate.
He said he was satisfied at the rescue and relief operations, particularly because the death toll so far is fairly low.
"There are fewer deaths than last year", he said. "Our priority is to save lives".
Since the inception of the flooding in late January, 41 deaths have been confirmed, most of them in Zambezia province. Although every major river in Sofala province (the Zambezi, the Pungue, the Buzi and the Save) has burst its banks, only three people are know to have died in Sofala.
Chissano instructed the Sofala provincial government to continue its efforts to persuade people to quit areas that are regarded as dangerous.
Provincial Governor Felicio Zacarias told him that in some areas people were refusing to move to higher ground unless the government provided transport for their livestock and other property.
Chissano praised local villagers who used their own canoes to rescue people trapped by the flood waters. "The canoes are doing marvellous work", he declared.
Chissano was optimistic that Mozambique's neighbours would Co-operate in water management.
In particular, Mozambique wants the Zimbabwean and Zambian authorities to reduce discharges from the Kariba dam, in order to reduce the impact of the floods on the lower Zambezi.
Mozambique also wants to see a reduction of discharge from the dam on the Malawi's Shire River, which greatly contributes to the lower Zambezi floods. Chissano was confident that there would be a positive response from foreign donors to the emergency appeal, for 36.5 million dollars, launched by the government on Wednesday.
But he stressed that the spirit of internal solidarity should continue in the same manner as was the case last year when the Mozambican Red Cross and other national NGOs mobilised support for the victims of the catastrophic floods in the south and centre of the country.
Chissano also stopped briefly at Mopeia and Luabo in Zambezia province, on the north bank of the Zambezi, and at the provincial capital, Quelimane, before flying to Dar es Salaam, where he will take part in Friday's meeting between heads of state of east and southern Africa, and the leaders of the World Bank and the IMF.
