Maputo, Mozambique — Morocco has donated 150,000 US dollars for the victims of the recent flooding in centralMozambique.

Handing over the money to Mozambique's Disaster Management Institute (INGC) in Maputo last Monday, Moroccan Ambassador Abdellatif Nacif said the gesture was a mark of his country's solidarity with the Mozambican people.

"It should at the same time strengthen our relations of friendship and cooperation," Nacif said, adding that because Morocco has a vast experience in natural disaster management, the two countries would do well to work together in the domain.

The Moroccan package would go to beef up humanitarian operations underway in the four provinces affected by flooding, namely Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia.

It brings to 15 million US dollars funds so far disbursed by the international community in response to Maputo's appeal for emergency assistance.

The amount, though, falls short of the 36.5 million dollars actually sought by the government in its appeal launched last February.

INGC director Silvano Langa told reporters the appeal was itself rather modest, having underestimated costs in logistics, which have since spiralled as roads in central Mozambique became impassable, leaving helicopters the only means of access to the area.

"Fortunately, with the additional funds from Holland [some 850,000 US dollars] it's possible to continue with the air operations until at least 21 April," Langa said.