Maputo — The number of deaths in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula caused by the passage of tropical depression "Delfina" last weekend stands at six, according to provincial governor Abdul Razak Noormahomed.
Four of these deaths occurred in the coastal town of Angoche, one in Nametil and one in the provincial capital, Nampula city.
The disaster has affected directly about 100,000 people, who now need urgent humanitarian assistance - they require foodstuffs, domestic utensils and agricultural tools.
This is on top of the 80-100,000 people who were already facing food shortages before the storm struck. Ironically these shortages were caused by drought in the coastal districts of Nampula.
Speaking to reporters, Razak said the situation was "dramatic and difficult", requiring "a redoubling of efforts" by the provincial authorities.
He pledged that his executive would do all in its power "to avoid further deaths, either because of storms, or through hunger. Our fundamental objective is to save human lives".
Between two and three thousand hectares of crops (mainly cassava and beans) were swamped by "Delfina", thus increasing the risks of hunger. Large numbers of livestock are missing, and many cashew trees, and other trees that can provide farmers with income, were submerged or uprooted.
Over 20 bridges, of various sizes, collapsed, thus cutting off Nampula city from much of the rest of the province, and of the country. However, emergency rehabilitation work on the bridge over the Meluli river made it possible to reopen the main road south on Thursday, and the 100 or so vehicles that had been trapped on the banks of the river could finally continue their journey.
But the railway from the port of Nacala to Malawi is still closed, and Razak thought it could take three weeks to reopen it.
Traffic along the line was interrupted due to the derailment of a goods train last Saturday, some 50 kilometres east of Nampula City. The rains had washed away the supports of the rail bridge over the Mutivaze river, and the bridge would no longer bear the weight of the train. The train driver lost his life in the accident, and two other people were injured.
The northern division of the Mozambican rail company, CFM, has requested a crane from Malawi to remove the derailed wagons and help put the line back into working order.
This accident has serious effects well beyond Nampula.
Lichinga, the capital of the northernmost province of Niassa, depends on the railway for vital supplies, particularly fuel. A fuel crisis in Lichinga thus looks inevitable.
Even worse, the Nacala railway is key to the relief effort for drought-stricken Malawi and Zambia. Three trainloads of emergency goods a week have been travelling from Nacala to Malawi: and this lifeline has now been abruptly cut.
