U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
MOZAMBIQUE - Floods
Fact Sheet #3, Fiscal Year (FY) 2001    March 16, 2001


Background

- In mid to late January, heavy rains over Zambezia Province caused the
Licungo River to flood.  In addition to the river flooding, the heavy
rainfall forced thousands of people from their homes. The most affected
areas were Quelimane and Maganja da Costa Districts.

- Heavy rains over Mozambique and its upstream neighbors have caused the
Zambezi and Shire Rivers to rise continuously since January, flooding
areas in Tete, Zambezia, and Sofala Provinces.

- On February 21, the Government of Mozambique (GRM) declared a flood
emergency and appealed to the international community for $30 million in
emergency assistance.

- In response to the devastating floods of 2000, the United States
Congress approved $132 million in supplemental funds for Mozambique to
rehabilitate transportation infrastructure to a standard that will reduce
the risk of flood damage, provide assistance to small and medium
enterprises, provide resettlement grants to 100,000 flood affected
families, and implement disaster preparedness activities.


Numbers Affected

- The National Disaster Management Insitute (INGC) estimates that there
have been some 90,000 people displaced and 75 deaths due to flooding.  
Approximately 494,500 people have been affected by floods.


Current Situation

- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) reports that the Cahora Bassa Dam's water discharge decreased to
7,550 cm/sec on March 15.  Water levels in the Zambezi River are
stabilizing, though water continues to be above the flood-alert level in
Zumbo, Tete, Mutarara, Caia, and Marromeu.

- The Kariba Dam is releasing water at 3,800 cm/sec as of March 15, and
remains at maximum capacity.

- Since the beginning of the flood emergency, the World Food Program (WFP)
has distributed 536 MT of mixed food commodities to 42,431 beneficiaries
in Zambezia Province, 407 MT to 28,293 beneficiaries in Tete Province, and
147 MT to 22,513 beneficiaries in Sofala and Manica Provinces.  WFP has
sufficient food supplies to respond to current needs.

- The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) found that clean water, sanitation, and health facilities were
inadequate at a temporary camp for 3,000 people in Chupanga.  IFRC sent a
water and sanitation emergency response unit to Chupanga.

- WFP, World Vision International (WVI), and the Mozambican Red Cross
reported 16,100 people in temporary accommodation centers (TACs) in the
Caia area.

- OCHA reports that roads from Caia to Chemba and Sena remain impassable.  
Airstrips in Chupanga and Marromeu have been reopened.

- The South African Defense Forces' (SADF) four helicopters departed
Mozambique on March 13 and 15 since they were no longer needed for the
emergency evacuation of flood victims.

- The town of Caia, located in the center of the affected area, serves as
a base of operations for the emergency relief efforts. Temporary
accommodation centers (TACs) have been established in Caia. The World Food
Program (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Mozambican
Red Cross, and the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC) have
pre-positioned emergency relief commodities in Caia.


U.S. Government Assistance

- On February 21, USAID/OFDA provided $25,000 through USAID/Maputo to meet
immediate logistical support requirements enabling assessments and the
delivery of relief supplies. USAID/OFDA provided an additional $95,000 on
February 22 toward air support for vulnerability analysis, disaster
assessments, and distribution of relief supplies.

- On February 28, USAID/OFDA continued its air support with an additional
$50,000.

- USAID/Maputo complemented USAID/OFDA's contribution of $170,000 for air
support with $158,488.

- A USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor and an agricultural specialist have been
deployed to Maputo to monitor new developments and conduct assessments of
the affected area, along with two USAID/OFDA Information Officers.

- On March 8, USAID/OFDA provided $726,150 to address the need for
management of temporary accommodation centers (TACs) and provision of
services.  Food for the Hungry International (FHI) and World Vision
International (WVI) were awarded $210,424 and $277,000 respectively to
cover management of accommodation centers/transit camps and provide
essential health, water, and sanitation services as needed.  FHI is
targeting 50,000 displaced persons in Marromeu District, Sofala Province
and Chinde District, Zambezia Province.  WVI is targeting displaced
families who have lost their homes, crops, and household belongings due to
the floods in Caia District, Sofala Province; Mutarara District, Tete
Province; and Mopeia and Morrumbala Districts, Zambezia Province.  Action
Contre la Faim (ACF) will use $238,726 to address the immediate water and
sanitation needs of an estimated 24,000 people living in TACs in the Caia
District.

- On March 14, USAID/OFDA provided $130,000 for two additional weeks of
air support.

- In response to the 2000 floods in Mozambique, USAID/OFDA funded $1.8
million in search and rescue (SAR)  and training activities. The training,
conducted by Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department, reached more than 100
representatives from non-governmental organizations, Mozambican military,
and local fire departments and focused on SAR and relief commodity
distribution capacities. In addition to the training, USAID/OFDA
prepositioned three zodiac boats, capable of relief commodity distribution
and SAR, with NGOs for future use.  Initial field reports confirm that all
three boats are being operated in response to the current disaster by
those trained in 2000.


USG Agency
   Action
Funding

USAID/OFDA
Disaster Assistance Authority for immediate logistical support
requirements
$25,000

USAID/OFDA
Air support
$95,000

USAID/OFDA
Air support
$50,000

USAID/OFDA
Grants to 3 NGOs for TAC management and provision of services
$726,150

USAID/OFDA
Continued air support
$130,000
Subtotal

USAID/OFDA 
$1,026,150

USAID/Maputo
Air support
$158,488

Total USG
Assistance
$1,184,638


Other Donor Assistance

- The following donors have provided assistance in response to the
flooding in Mozambique: Germany ($1.8 million), Netherlands ($1 million),
Portugal ($750,000), South Africa ($1.6 million), Sweden ($30,000), United
Kingdom ($4.5 million), Italy ($1.5 million), Canada ($647,330), Belgium
($1 million), Denmark ($250,025), Japan ($200,000), and Spain ($200,000).

- On March 7, the United Nations Inter-Agency Appeal was launched in
Maputo asking for $10.7 million to assist displaced and affected
populations in Zambezia, Sofala, Tete, and Manica Provinces.



Public Donation Information

- In the interest of effective coordination of public response, USAID
encourages the public to contact directly those private voluntary
organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region in order to provide
monetary donations. Cash donations are the preferred response to the
emergency.

- For a list of non-governmental organizations providing disaster
assistance in the region, please visit USAID's website at
http://www.usaid.gov.  Those interested in providing specific technical
relief services or commodities can obtain guidelines for private voluntary
organizations through Volunteers in Technical Assistance's (VITA's)
Disaster Information Center at http://www.vita.org.

- USAID will not deviate from standard Denton Program procedures for
transporting privately-donated relief supplies.  USAID will prioritize
delivery of essential relief commodities.  For more information on the
Denton Program, please refer to the USAID website at
http://www.usaid.gov/hum_response/pvc/denton.html.

- For additional information about the relief effort in Mozambique, please
refer to the Natural Disasters section of ReliefWeb at
http://www.reliefweb.int/


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