OCHA Situation Report No. 10
Mozambique - Floods
14 March 2001


Situation

1.  On 13 and 14 March, officials from Mozambique's National Water
Directorate and the Zambezi River Authority of Zambia held a meeting at
Kariba to discuss the management of water flows from the Kariba and Cahora
Bassa dams, aiming at minimising the impact of floods in the lower Zambezi
Valley.

2.  The Cahora Bassa dam is discharging 8,000m3/s.  Water levels
downstream of the Zambezi River have decreased, while they continued to be
above the flood-alert level in Zumbo, Tete, Mutarara, Caia, and Marromeu.
The level of Pungoe River is falling, opening the road linking Beira to
the west to traffic.  The levels of the Licungo River and other rivers in
Zambezia province have gone down.

3.  Weather conditions are expected to improve towards the weekend.
Scattered showers, however, can be anticipated each day.

4.  Evacuations in the Zambezi Valley are on-going.  The Coordination
Centre reports that 1,084 people were evacuated by 13 March.  Some people
moved on their own to Mutarara and Marromeu Nensa areas.  Registration of
the displaced/evacuees in accommodation centres is to be carried out.

5.  The roads between Beira and Caia, and into Beira from Maputo and
Zimbabwe have been reopened.  Roads from Caia to Chemba and Sena remain
impassable. Airstrips in Chupanga and Marromeu have been reopened.


National and International Response

6.  INGC officials will be seconded from Maputo to Beira to strengthen
coordination links among the four affected provinces.  OCHA Emergency
Coordinator is now back in Beira to be based there for a month.

7.  The Coordination Centres in Beira and Quelimane are compiling
information on NGOs operational in the affected areas.  The Quelimane
Centre indicated that Save the Children (SCF), Mozambique Red Cross (CVM)
and Samaritan's Purse (SP) are working in Mopeia: SCF in the distribution
of food and relief items, CVM in health, and SP in the distribution of
food.  Action Aid, World Vision (WVI), and CARE are distributing food aid
in Maganja da Costa, in Morrumbala and in Chinde, respectively.

8.  Food: WFP's food distribution to date from the onset of the emergency
is as follows: in Zambezia, 536 tonnes of mixed food commodities to 42,431
persons: in Tete, 407 tonnes to 28,293 persons; in Sofala and Manica, 147
tonnes to 22,513 persons


9.  Health: Zambezia:  WHO conducted a health assessment from 6 to 10
March and identified mosquito bites and malaria, acute respiratory
infections, headaches and intestinal parasites as the main problems.  
Organisations of the temporary centres and health units are underway with
help of NGOs such as SCF and WVI.  UNICEF is assisting the authorities to
conduct measles immunization and control of nutritional status.  With
technical assistance from MSF, 92 health staff members have been trained
in cholera treatment and the management of centres.  UNICEF and SCF have
coordinated 10 days of complementary feeding in Mopeia district. USAID
provided five basic health kits and UNICEF will place five radios in
remote locations in the province. Tete:  UNICEF strengthened its support
for basic health services in accommodation centres and is compiling
epidemiological data Sofala:  UNICEF assisted the provincial authorities
to develop plans for an immunization campaign and to procure auto-destruct
syringes and 10 basic drug kits.

10.  Shelter: In Zambezia province, the Mozambican armed force has
positioned a team of six soldiers for assisting in establishing
accommodation centres.  CVM reported that 1,000 tents donated by the
British Red Cross are expected to be delivered in Caia, Mutarara and
Chupanga.  Another 500 tents from the Swedish Red Cross are expected to
arrive in Beira soon.  According to the UNDP data, currently available
shelter materials and assistance would cover the needs for 120,000 people.

11.  Water & Sanitation: In Sofala province, Red Cross volunteers are
building latrines and chlorinating water at the accommodation centres in
Caia and Chupanga. With UNICEF assistance, a hygiene campaign and
distribution of chlorine, chlorofloc sachets, soap, jerry cans, water
bladders and water stations is under way in the affected areas (OCHA
Situation Report No.9 para.7).


International Assistance

12.  The Governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States have
pledged or provided cash and/or in-kind contributions bilaterally or
through NGOs or the UN system to date.

13.  OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in co-ordination/consultation with
relevant organisations in the United Nations system.  Funds should be
transferred to OCHA account no. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at
the UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: "OCHA -
Mozambique - floods 2001".  OCHA provides donors with written confirmation
and pertinent details concerning the utilisation of the funds contributed

14.  Information on contributions to this disaster may be found by
clicking on Financial Tracking at the top of the page for this disaster on
the OCHA Internet Website (http://www.reliefweb.int). Donors are requested
to verify this table and inform OCHA Geneva of
corrections/additions/values. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva
of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardized
Contributions Recording Format, available electronically in the above
mentioned Financial Tracking Website.

15.  This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies
are also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers (OCHA Disaster Response Branch):
Mr. K. Wiersing / Ms. Y. Sawada / Mr. M. Bonnel
direct Tel.  +41 22 917 2270/1768/1457

Press contact:  Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-91726 53


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