Mozambique- Latest Updates 20th February 2007
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• On 19th February Reuters reported that Mozambique's national disaster agency, already struggling to get food and clean water to thousands of victims of flooding, warned on 19th February the worst could be yet to come as the rainy season gets under way.
• The reported death toll this year is only about 40, but officials are bracing for a possible surge in the numbers of displaced people as continued rains in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe drain into the already-flooded Zambezi.
• Mozambique officials are attempting to control the situation by regulating water discharge from the country's massive Cahora Bassa Hydro-Electric dam, but this could become more difficult if flood waters continue to flow into the dam. "We expect that scenario in two or three weeks ... our contingency plan is for 285,000 (displaced) people, but this number is likely to double," Zucula the country's top disaster official, said.
• On 20th February Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) reported that a tropical cyclone was moving 19th February toward Mozambique. Expected heavy rains and strong winds were likely to hamper relief efforts in the centre of the country, through which the Zambezi River and its tributaries flow. The Mozambican Government said the situation was largely under control but emergency supplies were urgently needed as the situation looked unlikely to improve for weeks.
Type of document : Update
Country : MZ MOZ 508 Mozambique, People's Republic of
Publication date 2007-Feb-20
