OCHA Situation Report No. 17
Mozambique - Floods
19 April 2001


This report summarises information received from the UN Resident
Coordinator's Office in Mozambique.

Situation

1.  The discharge from Cahora Bassa dam increased to 5,400 m3/s on 9
April.  From 13 April, the discharge has been at 5,200 m3/s.  The dam is
expected to increase the discharge slightly in the next few weeks to bring
the level of water behind the dam down from 328.17 m to 326 m.  Due to the
increase, the level of the Zambezi River rose on 13 April at Tete to 5.42
m (42cm above flood level) and is expected to rise further at the
downstream areas.  At Caia, the level on 13 March was 6.2 m (1.2 m above
flood level). The level at Marromeu is reported to be stable at 6.56 m (56
cm above flood level).  The Pungoe River in Sofala province is going down.  
The level on 10 April measured 7.6 m (60 cm above flood level), and became
7.47 m (47 cm above flood level) on 13 April, compared to its peak of 8.83
m on 25 March. No significant rain has fallen in Mozambique in the last
few days and the forecast for the next five days is for little or no rain
throughout the country.

2.  A joint Government/UN mission to the flood affected areas completed
its fieldwork on 6 April.  The mission included representatives from the
Ministries of Commerce, Health and Agriculture, WFP, UNICEF, WHO and OCHA.
A report on its findings was expected to be completed by 13 April.  The
mission identified 65 accommodation centres for displaced people in the
four affected provinces.  The number is reduced from 79, because the
mission found that some isolated communities that receive food aid had
been counted as accommodation centres when the population had not moved
but simply been cut off by flood water.

3.  The number of people in accommodation centres is now estimated to be
225,075, while the floods have affected another 236,754 in other
locations, giving a total of affected population of 461,811 in four
provinces.  At the meeting in Beira on 7 April, representatives of the
provincial governments of Manica, Sofala and Zambezia, UN agencies, NGOs
and the joint Government/UN mission decided that humanitarian assistance
should be extended to cover isolated flood-affected communities that are
not housed in accommodation centres.  As a result, population in need of
humanitarian assistance could increase, as assessment missions identify
more isolated communities.

4.  On 13 April, Mozambique's Coordinating Council for Disaster Management
(CCGC) which is chaired by the Prime Minister and consists of the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation (deputy chair), Public Works &
Housing, Transport & Communications, Health and Agriculture & Rural
Development, held a meeting to discuss the current emergency and the
prospects for the resettlement of the displaced population.

5.  Logistics: Air operations out of Quelimane have been halted since 11
April due to a lack of fuel.  Supplies of fuel are on the way by ship and
are expected to arrive on 19 April.  All air operations are due to end on
21 April, when the fund will be exhausted.  WFP is looking into the
possibility of some more funds to continue the operation for some more
days.  The provincial authorities in Sofala estimated that at least USD
1.5 million is needed to rehabilitate roads and bridges damaged by floods.
Some 900 km of road and at least three bridges are in need of
rehabilitation.  Funds exist to carry out the work on an 800 m stretch of
the main national road EN1 and on 20 km of road linking EN1 to Machanga
district in the south of the province, leaving a shortfall of almost USD
1.4 million.  The following table summarises the conditions of roads in
Sofala province:

|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| Road     | Location             | Km   | Condition | Passable   |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN1      | Ripembe              | 0.8  | Destroyed | Yes        |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN6      | Mutua/Tica           | 14   | Destroyed | Yes        |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN213    | Sena/Chemba          | 20   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN213    | Dondo/Matondo        | 195  | Poor      | With       |
|          |                      |      |           | difficulty |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN213    | Caia/Sena            | 10   | Submerged | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN214    | Tica/Nova Sofala     | 40   | Submerged | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN215    | Gorongosa/Chemba     | 300  | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN214    | Guara Guara/Buzi     | 5.3  | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN218    | Nhamatanda/Metuchira | 50   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| EN219    | Inhamitanga/Marromeu | 25   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER427    | Buzi/EN1             | 50   | Damaged   | With       |
|          |                      |      |           | difficulty |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER428    | Bandua/Machanga      | 65   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER443    | Sena/Subue           | 30   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER446    | Chiramba/Canxixe     | 35   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| Unclass. | EN1/Machanga         | 20   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER432    | Km4                  | 0.22 | Bridge    | Yes        |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|
| ER445    | Chemba/Chiramba      | 40   | Damaged   | No         |
|----------+----------------------+------+-----------+------------|


6.  Food: Reports from Zambezia province indicated that a lack of fuel for
air operations has been hampering access to isolated locations in the
province, causing a shortage of food in those areas (para. 5 above
refers). Food supplies are ready for delivery to places not accessible by
road in Morrumbala, Maganja da Costa, Mopeia and Chinde districts as soon
as the fuel arrives.

7.  Agriculture:  FAO reports that the area of crops lost is now estimated
at 67,300 ha.  All the seed and tool kits required for distribution to
66,000 families are now in the country, and work is currently
concentrating on moving supplies to the districts for distribution,
although the total of families in need has risen to 100,000. FAO is
providing 30,000 kits, and Action Aid and the Christian Council of
Mozambique are supplying 10,000 and 5,000 kits respectively.  Kits have
been delivered to Machanga, Chibabava and Buzi districts of Sofala
province and are ready for distribution.  The office of the First Lady
began distribution of 10,000 seed and tool kits in Tete province in
parallel to the Ministry of Agriculture/FAO programme.

8.  Health and Hygiene: The Ministry of Health announced an outbreak of
cholera in Mutarara district, Tete province.  There have as yet been no
deaths among the 69 suspected cases of cholera, which have all occurred
outside the accommodation centres.  A health assessment team sent to
Mutarara concluded that the direct cause of the outbreak is consumption of
untreated water from the Zambezi River.  The cases have occurred in three
neighborhoods of the Mutarara district capital, Nhamayabue, located beside
the Zambezi.  The Ministry of Health has coordinated a quick response to
the outbreak.  MSF has set up a cholera treatment centre.  UNICEF has sent
supplies for prevention and treatment of cholera, and is working closely
with the district directorate of health to contain the outbreak.  NGOs are
continuing to install the 50,000 latrine slabs provided by UNICEF (OCHA
Situation Report no.7 para. 7).  Hygiene promotion activities supported by
UNICEF and NGOs are continuing in the accommodation centres.

9.  Shelter: Areas have been identified in Mutarara district, Tete
province, for the resettlement of the displaced population.  Demarcation
of plots has already begun in Mopeia district, Zambezia province, where
700 plots in two localities have been marked out.  A team in Manica
province is preparing the resettlement of 1,450 families in Tambara
district. Construction materials for 40 houses have been delivered to
Sussundenga district in Manica province.

10.  Communication: The OCHA Communication Coordinator held a series of
meetings with UN agencies and NGOs on how to consolidate communications
systems already in place and proceed to implementation of the new UN
common communication network.

11.  Mine Awareness: As a follow up of a previous mine accident on the
road between Caia from Beira and subsequent training events, UNDP held a
training seminar on 11 April for trainers in mine awareness.


International Assistance

12.  The National Institute for Disaster Management reported contributions
amounting to USD 13.15 million in response to Mozambique's USD 30 million
appeal for emergency assistance of which the UN agencies appealed for USD
10 million.  In addition, USD 1,495,240 worth food assistance (in cash and
in kind) has been received.  The Government recorded USD 796,376 for
unspecified sectors.  Information on contributions is still being reported
and analysed.

13.  According to OCHA, the Governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands,
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.  As of 18 April, OCHA recorded USD
13.7million.

14.  UNICEF reported that its activities in health, water & sanitation and
education sectors under the UN Inter-Agency Appeal have been fully funded.  
UNICEF have received contributions from the UNICEF National Committee in
Germany, Luxembourg and Austria, as well as from the Governments of
Canada, Ireland, Norway and Sweden which amount to 124.7% of the total
requested in the appeal.

15.  ECHO has confirmed a contribution of EUR 700,000 to the Red Cross for
non-food items and water and sanitation equipment.  With the contribution,
the Red Cross and IFRC expect to extend its assistance to the
accommodation centres in Nensa in Sofala province and Mandua in Tete
province, as the centres have received very little non-food assistance.  
So far, the Red Cross and IFRC are managing seven accommodation centres.

16.  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

17.  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.

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


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

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

Focal Points Mr. J. Boutroue (Chief, Africa I and the Middle East) and Ms.
Y. Sawada (Desk Officer) direct Tel. +41 22 917 1438/1768

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


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