MOZAMBIQUE: FEARS THAT FLOODING ACROSS THE COUNTRY COULD INCREASE IF NEARBY TROPICAL STORM APPROACHES
Record ID:
646935
MOZAMBIQUE: FEARS THAT FLOODING ACROSS THE COUNTRY COULD INCREASE IF NEARBY TROPICAL STORM APPROACHES
- Title: MOZAMBIQUE: FEARS THAT FLOODING ACROSS THE COUNTRY COULD INCREASE IF NEARBY TROPICAL STORM APPROACHES
- Date: 6th March 2001
- Summary: CHUPANGA, NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE (MARCH 6, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. AERIAL OF REFUGEE CAMP 0.18 2. SV/SCU:WOMAN COOKING OUTSIDE TENT (2 SHOTS) 0.27 3. SV: WOMEN AND CHILDREN INSIDE TENT 0.32 4. SV: WOMEN AND CHILDREN SEATED ON GROUND 0.38 5. SLV: EXTERIOR MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL ARRANGED IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING 0.42 6. SV: WORKER ARRANGING SUPPLIES INSIDE BUILDING 0.49 7. SCU: DRUGS LAID OUT ON TABLE 0.54 BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE (MARCH 6, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. PAN: PARTICIPANTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE SITTING, CAMERA CREWS WAITING 1.00 9. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ROSS MOUNTAIN, UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANT EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR SAYING: "Mercifully, this year's floods are not as bad as last year, as far as we know. The good news is also that a great deal of work was done by both the government and the U.N. system and the NGO's to learn lessons from last year and to put in place a contingency plan for this year. We didn't know it would strike here as opposed to further south, as it did last year." 1.27 10. SV: CAMERA OPERATOR 1.30 11. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ROSS MOUNTAIN SAYING: "The reports of the last 24 hours are indicating that the floods are increasing, the Kariba dam opened further yesterday which will put more pressure on the Caborabassa dam and consequently on this region." 1.46 12. MV: MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 1.50 13. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MOZAMBICAN TRANSPORT MINISTER TOMAZ SALOMAO SAYING: "Last year we had more water, but this year we have less water, but distance and area is bigger and here we face logistical problems; so the distance that the one helio needs to fly to take food, to rescue people is bigger, so this is the logistical problem in the Zambezi valley. It appears that the situation is worse here, in fact it's as a result of the length of the (indistinct) valley." 2.30 CHUPANGA, NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE (MARCH 6, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14. SV: YOUTH PUTTING STICKS ON COOKING FIRE 2.38 15. CU: FOOD COOKING 2.45 16. SCU: TODDLERS SLEEPING 2.49 17. SV/WS: PEOPLE SEATED IN CAMP (2 SHOTS) 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st March 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CHUPANGA AND BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE
- Country: Mozambique
- Reuters ID: LVA47XGGDTKGNAJRMHI5XG3KZUEA
- Story Text: The flooding affecting Mozambique could increase as a
tropical storm approaches, creating thousands more refugees.
Thousands of people may have to be evacuated if a
tropical storm building in the Indian Ocean sweeps over
flood-stricken areas of Mozambique this weekend, officials
said on Tuesday (March 6).
At least 52 people have died and more than 85,000 been
made homeless by flooding in Mozambique, a year after the
southern African country's worst ever floods killed more than
700 people.
There were fears that the storm could become a mini-cyclone
and add to the devastation caused by the massive volume of
water already flowing down the Zambezi River and its
tributaries.
Last year's crisis was made worse by a major cyclone which
hammered southern and central Mozambique.
"The reports of the last 24 hours are indicating that the
floods are increasing, the Kariba dam opened further yesterday
which will put more pressure on the Caborabassa dam and
consequently on this region," said Ross Mountain, assistant
emergency relief coordinator for the United Nations (U.N.).
But a forecaster for the South African Weather Bureau said
the mini-cyclone currently hovering over northern Madagascar
could peter out over the next few days.
Mozambican Transport Minister Tomaz Salomao said relief
teams planned to rush emergency supplies to the Inhangoma area
where up to 50,000 people were at most risk from the storm.
He said the area affected by the floods was much larger
than the previous year's, creating more logistical problems
for the government and aid agencies.
"Last year we had more water, but this year we have less
water, but distance and area is bigger and here we face
logistical problems; so the distance that the one helio need
to fly to take food, to rescue people is bigger, so this is
the logistical problem in the Zambezi valley, " Salomao said
at a news conference in the port town of Beira.
South African helicopters were expected to shift their
focus on Wednesday to Inhangoma, located about 100 kms (60
miles) north of Beira on the edge of the lower Zambezi river
valley. South African pilots, who won praise for their daring
rescues during last year's huge floods, delivered supplies but
did not pick up any refugees on Tuesday.
South African and World Food Programme helicopters on
Monday airlifted 444 people trapped by rising floodwaters, as
well as delivering food and other supplies.
Thousands have waded or paddled canoes and dinghies to
safety, but many have stubbornly refused to abandon their
homes.
Mozambican officials said the situation in central parts
of the Zambezi River valley appeared to be under control, many
people having moved to safer areas. But the upper and lower
valleys remained critical.
The U.N. food agency estimated that floods had ruined
22,000 hectares (55,000 acres) of land in Mozambique this
year, and more rain would reduce a harvest already stunted by
drought in January.
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