March 2001 Africa News Headlines

Tuesday, March 6, 2001 - Web posted at 8:13:45 AM GMT

Floods devastate Mozambique

MAPUTO - Authorities predict the worst is yet to come in Mozambique's flood-stricken areas if rains continue unabated in neighbouring countries like Zambia and Malawi, news reports said yesterday.

A Cahora Bassa dam management source told the Noticias daily newspaper that the dam has reached its maximum capacity of 326 metres over the weekend.

With four of the dam's floodgates fully open and a fifth discharging water at 50 per cent, the dam was discharging 8,800 cubic metres a second.

According to the newspaper's source, that inundated districts like Mutarara, Chinde and Mopeia felt the impact of the water yesterday.

Noticias reported that the hydrometric station situated over the bridge of the Zambezi river was no longer operational and it was impossible to measure the river levels in that area.

The last reading showed that the level stood at 7,30 metres.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ross Mountain, arrived in Maputo yesterday to evaluate the impact of the floods in the country.

Speaking upon his arrival at the airport, Mountain said his three- day visit was an expression of the UN and Secretary General Kofi Annan to see how the organisation could render support to the Mozambican government.

Mountain said he would fly to Beira later in the day after he had discussions with government officials.

Later he would also fly to the flood-affected areas, before returning to Maputo for further discussions with the government and donor representatives.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it was in need of bout 662 tons of seeds worth 1,276,000 million dollars to attend to the emergency situation in the country.

Zambian authorities said yesterday raging floodwaters had killed at least six people and displaced 5,000 others in eastern Zambia's waterlogged Luangwa Valley.

Nearly 5,000 villagers have fled their homes along the river to a refugee camp near the town of Luangwa, where they live under plastic sheets with little food or clean water.

- Nampa-Sapa-DPA-Nampa-Reuters

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