2007 Floods: Mozambique humanitarian situation update, 6 February
Issue Localised flooding is common in Mozambique during the southern Africa rainy season from November to March. Since the beginning of 2007, some 27,400 people have been temporarily displaced mostly in the cities of Beira and Quelimane as well as a number of locations in Tete, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa Provinces. Persistent heavy rains in neighbouring countries and inside Mozambique over the past two weeks, however, have led the national water authorities in Mozambique to gradually increase the flow of water from the Cahora Bassa dam, from about 2,500 cubic meters per second on 24 January to 5,170 cubic meters per second as of 6 February 2007. Authorities now fear that the increased volume of water being discharged from the Cahora Bassa dam into the Zambeze River, combined with heavy rains in some areas, will result in significant flooding downstream. Water level in the four main tributaries of the Zambeze River – Chire, Revubue, Luenha and Luia rivers – have already passed alert level and continue to rise, threatening close to 300,000 people living in 16 districts along the river valley in the provinces of Tete, Manica, Sofala and Zambezia. A similar situation in 2001 caused massive flooding which displaced 230,000 people and affected more than 500,000 people. Authorities are hopeful that a disaster of this magnitude can be averted through the controlled and incremental increase of water output from the dam. UNICEF’s response In response to the threat, UNICEF has been supporting the Mozambique’s disaster management agency (INGC), the Ministry of Health and National Water Authorities in putting in place contingency plans to ensure that some 300,000 people in the Zambezi River valley can be evacuated in time, in case river water levels rise as a result of the Cahora Bassa dam doors being opened further. UNICEF Mozambique has been in constant contact with Government authorities to assess the situation and identify emergency supply needs. UNICEF has sent supplies that were in its warehouse, such as water bladders, buckets, jerry cans, blankets and plastic sheeting, to INGC authorities working out of Caia District (province of Sofala), the operational hub for national disaster preparedness and response efforts.
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