Maputo — The Mozambican government announced on Wednesday that it mobilized 4.3 billion meticais (about 67.3 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate) to support the victims of floods that hit the southern and central provinces of the country in January.
According to the Minister of State Administration, Inocencio Impissa, adressing the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Wednesday, the donations have been channelled in the form of food, clothing and shelter materials. Approximately 1.3 billion meticais was in monetary aid.
"The monetary aid received is being used to reinforce the acquisition of food and non-food items to assist the populations affected by the floods', he said.
According to the minister, the government is in the final stages of drafting the 2026 Post-Flood Reconstruction Plan, "which is aimed at ensuring resilient and sustainable reconstruction, as well as guaranteeing the relaunch of the local economy.'
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"In light of the same plan, the government expects to carry out immediate humanitarian assistance interventions, restore social services, including access to health, education, water, sanitation and energy, as well as normalize the functioning of the State and the local economy in affected areas', he said.
The government also intends to rehabilitate 5,697 km of damaged roads, as well as 684 km of railway line, and 16 bridges. It will restore 98 aqueducts and 16 km of power transmission line, in addition to replacing 92 pylons, installing 25 km of medium voltage line and replacing 410 transformer substations.
"For monitoring and rescue operations during the floods, the government mobilized 68 boats, four light aircraft, 10 helicopters, 14 drones, and 25 satellite antennas for data transmission, as well as civil protection teams, including foreign personnel, totaling 351 military personnel and volunteer lifeguards', Impissa said.
The current rainy season has caused 258 deaths, and 331 injuries, while 12 people are missing.
"The authorities recorded 869,031 people affected, of whom 113,478 are displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance, particularly in access to drinking water, food security, health services and social protection', Impissa said.
