Continuing floods trap thousands

THOUSANDS of people in Mozambique were still trapped in their homes yesterday by rising floodwaters as heavy rains continued to pound southern Africa, heightening fears of a particularly severe flood season.

Mozambique?s national disaster management agency, INGC, said close to 2000 people were still waiting to be brought to safety by
helicopter or boat as the death toll in the flooding rose to 12.

Aid agencies were preparing for a sharp deterioration of the situation as summer rains, arriving earlier than usual, continued to fall on Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe, feeding into rivers running through neighbouring Mozambique, particularly the Zambezi.

Up to 250000 Mozambicans living along the Zambezi, Africa?s fourth-largest river, could require food aid if flooding in the valley, caused by the unavoidable opening of floodgates in the Cahora Bassa dam, continued, according to Action Aid and the UN World Food Programme.


The Zambezi had meanwhile claimed its first victim. The body of a man, who had apparently been fishing in the valley, was seen floating in the water in Caia district, bringing the death toll to 12, according to
the INGC.

In Zambia, President Levy Mwanawasa this week declared a national disaster over the floods and a Care worker said water levels in the south were twice as high as the same time last year.

Thousands of hectares of farmland, several schools and a key bridge have been submerged.

Three people have died in Zambia and around 60000 people evacuated their homes in an effort co-ordinated by the vice-president?s office and drawing on the involvement of around 19000 Zambian Red Cross volunteers.

Care was preparing for an eventual outbreak of waterborne diseases, such as cholera and malaria, evaluation monitor Michael Schroll told reporters.

Care also predicted a ?serious threat? to the maize harvest.

Malawi and Zimbabwe have also been affected by the flooding.

In Malawi five people have died and in Zimbabwe, at least 30 people succumbed to flooding caused by record heavy rains in December that appear to have abated.

Devastating floods in Mozambique in 2000/2001 killed 700 people and displaced half a million others.