JOHANNESBURG, 30 January 2012 (IRIN) - About 40 people have died and more than 100,000 are affected by twin storms that struck Mozambique 18-26 January, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Tropical Cyclone Funso struck northern Mozambique, “affecting about 64,663 people and causing floods and damage of houses, schools and health centres. In southern Mozambique, high river flows from upstream countries… combined with heavy rainfall due to tropical storm Dando, affected about 51,670 people,” it said on 27 January.
“There is a possibility that in-country pre-positioned shelter material will not be enough to respond to the emerging needs,” it said, adding that there were indications that 94,919 hectares of cropland had been affected in Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Sofala and Zambézia provinces.
World Food Programme country representative Lola Castro told IRIN it appeared the affected cropland was “a write-off”. She said floodwater in the south and north was subsiding; issues of health, water, sanitation and shelter were being addressed in partnership with the government.
go/cb