German government provides wide-ranging humanitarian relief for victims of flood disaster in Mozambique
Funding provided or pledged thus far by the German government (Foreign Office, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Federal Ministry of Defence) amounts to around DM 50 million. In addition, Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Wieczorek-Zeul announced during her visit to Mozambique that the German government would be cancelling around DM 62 million in trade debts owed by that country.
The funding provided has been used to pay for emergency relief and support measures, rescue flights, emergency relief equipment, water purification, and emergency medical assistance.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) will also provide DM 2 million through the Germany Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) for reconstruction measures aimed at helping to overcome the effects of the flood disaster. A further DM 6.5 million in emergency food aid is being provided to the World Food Programme.
The BMZ plans to provide DM 26 million
for second-phase measures aimed at reconstructing destroyed infrastructures.
On 15 March the creditor countries in the Paris Club (of which Germany
is a member) agreed to grant a temporary deferral for repayment of Mozambican
debts.
With seven helicopters Germany made a significant contribution to the efforts undertaken to rescue victims of the flood disaster. On 31 March, after the overall situation had improved, 107 German Air Force personnel and civilian staff as well as 7 Federal Border Guard personnel returned to Germany from their four-week relief mission.
The military personnel and civilian staff, working in close cooperation with Federal Border Guard personnel, military personnel from other countries, and civilian relief organisations provided vital assistance for people in Mozambique over the past four weeks.
The affected population was supplied with 567 tonnes of relief goods carried on 498 flights by two C-160 Transall transport aircraft and four Bell UH-1D helicopters. Some 1,500 persons were transported as well. The six aircraft were in the air for about 500 hours. A total of 39 Mozambicans were rescued from life-threatening situations. Around 2,600 persons received treatment from German Air Force medical personnel at two medical facilities.
Over the next few months the German government will continue to do everything it can to help in the effort to reconstruct the country, doing so in cooperation with NGOs.