Southern Africa Flood and Cyclone Update (as of 15 Feb 2013)

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- ReliefWeb

Swaar reën sluit Meringspoort

Modder, opdrifsels en reuse boomstompe moes die naweek en Maandag uit Meiringspoort verwyder word na swaar reën Saterdagmiddag noord van die Swartberge geval het. Foto: Leon Nell.

OUDTSHOORN NUUSFLITS - Swaar reën Saterdagmiddag het motoriste wat deur Meiringspoort moes ry se reisplanne vir 'n ruk gekortwiek toe die rivier in vloed afgekom het en die poort vir 'n ruk gesluit moes word.

Ondanks voorspellings van die weerburo wat gedeeltelike sonskyn en reën in die vooruitsig gestel het, het swaar reën in gedeeltes noord van die Swartberge geval.

Terwyl Stompdriftdam ‘n beskeie, maar dankbare 15mm reën ontvang het, het gebiede noord van die Swartberg soos Smutskraal en Tarkarivier sowat 100mm reën in ‘n betreklike kort tydjie ontvang.

- Oudtshoorn Courant

Photos: Umgeni River in Flood - Howick

Umgeni River below Mill Falls

Umgeni River breaking its banks

Mill Fall on Umgeni River, above Howick Falls 

Midmar Dam overflow

Images: Clive Wilson (Howick area)

FLOOD WARNING: Public take note - The Umgeni river is in flood and has broken its banks in areas. Low lying areas beware of flooding. If you live in an area along the Umgeni river which is prone to flooding take the necessary precautions now and do not try to cross rivers, low level bridges, flooded roads or streams. - SAWDOS

Two bodies recovered in Msinga

Flooding after a thunderstorm in Msinga
Image by: AFOLABI SOTUNDE / REUTERS

Two bodies of six people who went missing in a thunderstorm in Msinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal, have been recovered, the co-operative governance and traditional affairs department said on Tuesday.

"Two bodies have been recovered today [Tuesday], but we cannot reveal their identities at this stage until their families have been properly notified," said spokesman Lennox Mabaso.

The six were swept away in their homes when the Isibumba river burst its banks and flooded.

"The floods have left 36 people displaced, 25 houses have been completely damaged, and 98 people have been affected," Mabaso said. The rain started on at 6pm on Monday.

"This is indeed a very sad day for us a province as we have come to comfort the families whose lives has been turned asunder as a result of the ferocious storms that hit this area," said co-operative governance MEC Nomusa Dube.

She said the department had spoken to traditional leaders about identifying appropriate land, away from the flood plain, on which families could rebuild their homes.

"Search and rescue crews are on the scene and are searching for those that went missing during the flood," she said.

Dube said families which had lost their homes were being housed at a community hall, and arrangements had been made for them to get all the necessary assistance to ensure they were able to rebuild their lives.

Damage to infrastructure was estimated to run into millions of rand.

Dube, arts and culture MEC Ntombikayise Sibhidla Saphetha, health MEC Sbongiseni Dlomo and Social Development MEC Weziwe Thusi MEC visited the area to asses the damage.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal sent its condolences to the families which had lost loved ones and those still searching for missing family members.

"We have no doubts that the emergency and rescue team will do their best in searching for the missing people," said spokesman Senzo Mkhize.

"We also want to commend the provincial government for their swift response in providing relief measure to the victims," he said.

- Times Live

Tugela River bursts its banks: 5 missing

At least five people are missing after the Tugela River burst its banks last night, flooding many homes in the Msinga area near Greytown. Search and rescue efforts are underway.

Cooperative Governance MEC Nomusa Dube is expected to lead Disaster Management teams through affected communities today.

Her spokesperson Lennox Mabaso says they will be taking stock of the damage to see how they can assist those affected by the storm:

"A severe thunderstorm tore through parts of Msinga leaving a trail of destruction," he said.

"We spent a sleepless night trying to provide temporary shelter to the victims."

-East Coast Radio News

Freak storm wreaks havoc in the Eastern Cape (10 February 2012)

WHERE’S MY ROOF: Mlungisi Dama of Dowu village inside his spaza shop where a roof was also blown off by strong winds. STEPHANIE LLOYD

A SERIES of 20 storm cells merged to form five large storms which generated destructive gusts of wind and heavy rain on Sunday evening.

Residents throughout a large area of the Eastern Cape were shocked at the severity of the gust fronts and accompanying deluges.

This story of the storms, which smashed into an area taking in both metros, and reaching inland as far as Cradock and Butterworth, was told by two weather and two disaster management experts.

Eastern Cape SA Weather Service spokesman Garth Sampson said although these summer storms were “normal” and not part of climate change, they were characterised by destructive gust fronts.

He explained that parcels of air formed up in the very top of the thunderheads or anvils, and then “dived” from heights of 1.4km and burst out the front of the storm.
Gust front downdrafts have tossed two park homes into the air, and were responsible for most of the damage.

A gust front travelling at up to 180km/h will gouge the earth in a straight, narrow line between 100m to a kilometre wide, and move at ground level for a short distance, probably only lasting a minute.

Such fronts are capable of opening up a home “like a can of sardines,” said Sampson.
Kaysers Beach mom Margaret Green said their evening of DStv viewing turned to DVD watching as the power went out.

“Suddenly there was a huge crash,” she said, as two heavy asbestos roof sheets disappeared into the sky and rain sluiced through the 1.5m x 3m-hole, drenching carpets in three bedrooms and causing all the top floor ceiling boards to sag.

HOMELESS: Mzwandile Tywaleni of Dowu village in Chalumna showing Daily Dispatch reporters his house that was destroyed by the strong winds and rain on Sunday. Picture: STEPHANIE LLOYD

Sampson said February was perfect for storms like these, of which the metros received about three a month during a season stretching between September and March.
“You have the heat, you have the easterly flow [ of moist sea air] . You have energy and petrol. What more do you need?”

In the Buffalo City Metro, residents keyed up to watch the Afcon cup final on telly instead found themselves shunting furniture around, holding towels to the ceiling or soaking up water with mops.

Shortly before the kick-off, lightning crashed hitting trees and dropping branches, and a deluge of 34.2mm of rain caused gutters to collapse and sent water through roofs.

However, Buffalo City Metro disaster manager Owen Becker said the city’s services were able to cope with minor flooding, outages and other damage.
The Daily Dispatch learned from a local weather expert that the East London temperature plunged from 30 degrees to 19 degrees after the storm broke, while the humidity level went from 62.6% to 92%.

DESTROYED: Welekazi Makeleni seen outside her house in Sandile village after a roof was ripped off by strong winds on Sunday night Pictures: STEPHANIE LLOYD

The wind direction swung from a 35km northerly wind to a 55km south-westerly, with gusts of up to 200km observed near Greenfields.

Visibility for aircraft was reduced to a minimal 1110m as the cloud cover switched from a mid- level altocumulus to ground-level stratocumulus.

Eastern Cape disaster management spokesman John Fobian said both metros experienced flash flooding, and there were reports of power outages in Alice, settlements in the Great Fish river basin, Cradock and along the Sunshine Coast.

- Daily Dispatch


SAWDOS: Well done Garth Sampson and the Daily Dispatch!! A great analysis by Garth of the severe storms that struck the Eastern Cape this past weekend. Your years of experience is clearly noticeable. Thanks Daily Dispatch.  This is the type of educational information that the public wants to read and know. Keep up the good work!!

Swaar reën in die noorde van KwaZulu-Natal

OPVOLG: 12H00 - Ses mense is as vermis aangemeld en een is ernstig beseer nadat 'n swaar storm gisteraand huise en infrastruktuur in die uMzinyathi Munisipaliteit in die noorde van KwaZulu-Natal vernietig het. Paaie en brûe is van die infrastruktuur wat erg beskadig is. Die burgemeester van die Umzinyathi distrik, James Mthethwa sê vier huise het weggespoel. Hy het gevra vir bystand van die provinsiale regering.

09H00 - Swaar reën in die uMzinyathi Munisipaliteit in die noorde van KwaZulu-Natal het huise en infrastruktuur vernietig. Volgens berigte het 'n brug ook ineengestort. Die burgemeester van uMzinyathi, James Mthethwa sê hulle sal enige hulp van die provinsiale regering in geraakte gebiede soos Umsinga en Dundee, verwelkom. Daar is 'n aantal mense as vermis aangemeld.

- RSG Nuus

Botswana: Floods - Jan 2013

Flooding due to extremely heavy rains in the North-East and Central districts of Botswana has affected 842 households, including 32 households in Dukwi refugee camp, since mid-January 2013. The number of affected people is expected to rise as village reports are received and assessments completed. While the immediate shelter needs of virtually all affected people have been met, this response has almost completely exhausted existing supplies, limiting the capacity to respond to future hydro-meteorological disasters. (UN RC, 1 Feb 2013)

- Relief Web

Preparedness pays as hundreds of thousands flee from floods in Mozambique

Yvonne is 64. She has spent the last six days on a roof. The rest of her family fled the village ten days ago after packing everything they could onto a small cart, but Yvonne stayed, hoping the oncoming floods would recede quickly so she could salvage and protect her house and her things. But the water flowed in and rose up fast. So she climbed onto the roof and waited.

When she felt the water was shallow enough, she climbed down and walked 25km to an agreed meeting point. As she arrives, the family gather round, cheering and clapping. Yvonne does a little dance and joins the six children and three adults huddled under a plastic sheet.

Scattered around her and stretching along miles of road are tens of thousands of other families, huddled under dense trees for shelter. A few have tents, some have plastic sheets, but most are out in the open. The majority are women and children. They are cooking, breastfeeding, fanning themselves, sleeping and braiding their children's hair. They have all managed to salvage something from their homes so they sit around piles of cases and bags.

That they have been able to save anything is testament to the one piece of good news in a crisis that has displaced 200,000 people. The early warning systems worked.

Improved climate science, combined with the commitment of the authorities to disseminate warnings through radio and volunteers with the Mozambique Red Cross Society, meant people had time to pack and leave for higher ground. During the floods of 2000, over 700 people died. So far in 2013, fewer than 100 have lost their lives.

Yet while the early warning is impressive, the overall response is less so. In this one district of Gaza, 100,000 people are sleeping in the open, and there are also problems with food, water and hygiene. Relief is being distributed, but it is in painfully short supply. Roads are still crammed with moving people, and the numbers are swelling.

Spirits, though, remain high. These families have lost precious reserves of food; their houses and many of their belongings are gone; yet the women still make sure their clothes and children are clean. For now there is still laughter and conversation.

Conditions will get worse. Constant rains seep through the leaves and chill those huddled beneath. At night there is no protection from mosquitoes. The stench from the bushes, which are being used as latrines, is stronger each day.

"I am tired and want to leave," says 25-year-old Anisia. "We wanted to go back today but we've been warned that more rain is coming. Last time, people went back too early and got trapped. So for now we have to stay."

Along the roadsides, women dry the soaked maize and rice that they have pulled from beneath the water. In front of a flooded food store, crowds of women comb through filthy, black pools to find drenched bags of maize. Guards chase them away with sticks. The women tumble and splash away, roaring with laughter and dripping wet, but clinging to their prizes. This produce is rotten, selling it and eating it will cause a major health hazard over the coming days.

The temptation to return is strong. When the waters recede, the soil will be fertile and the women want to get back and plant. Their houses will be buried in mud, the smell of dead animals and the buzzing of insects will be hideous, but at least they will be growing, not using, the little that they have.

There will be lessons. Should people have been more prepared? There are parts of the region, for example along the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where communities have learned to live with flooding. They build their houses on high foundations or on stilts, and villages maintain boats for movement and evacuation. But it has been over ten years since these communities in Mozambique have faced floods like this. How much will they will be willing to invest in infrastructure to protect against a rare occurrence?

For now though, the immediate challenge is relief. 200,000 people will need a lot of water, food, sanitation and shelter to stay healthy out in the open before they can return home safely and face the struggle of rebuilding their lives.

- ReliefWeb

UNICEF scales up support to Malawi’s Flood Victims as rains persist

Floods displace over 33 000 people and destroy schools

LILONGWE, 01 February 2013- UNICEF is scaling up its emergency assistance in Malawi after flooding has hit the country’s southern region. A recent inter-agency assessment estimated that over 33,000 people have been displaced leaving many people without shelter or clothing. Crops have been destroyed in Mangochi, Phalombe and Nsanje districts, while over 20 schools have been disrupted, affecting thousands of children.

“Communities, government, NGOs and the UN are working together to avert a humanitarian disaster,” said Mr. Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF Country Representative in Malawi. “But the rains are persistent and we remain on high alert as the flooding spreads to other areas.”

The persistent rains have destroyed roads making access to flooded areas difficult for the delivery of relief materials. Food, emergency shelter, medical supplies and other non-food household items such as blankets, buckets and pots are urgently needed for the affected amilies. The flooding has also compromised access to safe water, sanitation and overall hygiene in the affected communities.

In response, UNICEF is providing communities with a combination of water, sanitation and hygiene-related supplies. Supplies include chlorine, soap, water purification chemicals, plastic sheeting for construction of temporary bathing and latrine shelters, as well as hygiene awareness campaigns to prevent the risk of cholera.

Many displaced families have sought shelter in schools using them as kitchens and bedrooms resulting in considerable damage to school furniture and disruption in learning in at least 20 locations. UNICEF has provided the school-in-a-box supplies to ensure that quality learning resumes in the affected primary schools.

“Vital supplies are getting through to stricken communities,” said Mr. Mdoe. “But as UNICEF we remain vigilant, monitoring childhood diseases, ensuring schools are functional and that children go back to learning.”

Despite the flooding, Mangochi, Phalombe, and Nsanje are also among the districts hit hardest by the current drought, which has left nearly 2 million people food insecure and children at a high risk of malnutrition and disease across the country.

- UNICEF

Flash Flood in Congo on Friday, 01 February, 2013 at 09:51 (09:51 AM) UTC.

At least 1,386 families were left homeless in Mbanza Kongo, Northern Zaire Province, following the heavy rains that hit the city on Tuesday night, says the civil protection and fire department. The rains destroyed 231 residences, being 122 in 11 de Novembro and 109 in SagradaEsperanca wards, surroundings of Mbanza Kongo city, adds the source. The rains also injured seven people that are receiving medical treatment in the local provincial hospital, says the department.

- RSOE EDIS

Flooding in Mozambique

In a little over two weeks, heavy rains transformed the landscape of southern Mozambique. On January 9, 2013, the lower Limpopo River was barely discernible from the sky. By January 25, the river had spilled over its banks, with water spreading more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) across the landscape in places.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images on January 25, 2013 (top), and January 9, 2013 (bottom). Both images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water ranges in color from navy blue to teal. Vegetation is bright green. Clouds are pale blue-green and cast shadows.
On January 25, the BBC reported that roughly 85,000 people had been affected by flooding, about 65,000 of them in the southern Mozambique province of Gaza. The city of Chókwé was among the worst-hit, and the United Nations warned that the number of people affected could reach 100,000 if flooding worsened in the coastal city of Xai-Xai. On January 27, Al Jazeera reported a higher number of residents displaced by the flooding: nearly 300,000. A reporter from Agence France-Presse reported seeing tens of thousands of Mozambique residents camped along roadsides.
Flooding was not confined to Mozambique. It also affected Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. In South Africa, flooding had forced the operators of a crocodile farm to open the gates, releasing approximately 15,000 crocodiles, the BBC said.

1. References

2. BBC. (2013, January 25) UN: Floods displace 70,000 and kill 36 in Mozambique. Accessed January 28, 2013.
3. Mutasa, H. (2013, January 27) “Dire situation” after Mozambique floods. Al Jazeera English. Accessed January 28, 2013.

NASA images courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

SANDF helping Mozambique back onto its feet after floods

The humanitarian side of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is again proving its worth in flood-stricken Mozambique where a number of military elements have been working 24/7, helping thousands displaced by floodwaters.

Additionally, the South African Air Force (SAAF) is providing airlift capability to Gift of the Givers. 28 Squadron C-130 transport aircraft have started moving more than 150 tons of food, donated by supporters of the Pietermaritzburg headquartered non-government organisation, to areas most in need.

The SANDF deployment includes Navy divers, SAAF Oryx helicopters and crew as well as primary health care nurses, dieticians and environmental health officers from the SA Military Health Service.

SANDF personnel have been in Mozambique for just over a week, first assisting in moving flood victims to safety while Navy divers did search and rescue tasks in swollen rivers.

“The joint operation has made it possible for the SANDF rescue team to distribute food as flood levels have been receding and search and rescue operations are now making way for food distribution actions,” SANDF Corporate Communications Director Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga said.

“The SANDF is still on standby in flood stricken areas with helicopters, medical personnel and search and rescue teams.”

Speaking to the Afrikaans daily Beeld, Colonel Andre Pieterse said from the hastily erected aid centre in the country, SANDF personnel had rescued at least 500 people from the raging Limpopo River in Mozambique earlier this week. This included hoisting people to safety from rooftops and out of trees.

Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors with Borders (MSF) is also been active in flood-ravaged areas of Mozambique as well as Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Just how badly South Africa’s eastern neighbour was hit by the heavy rain and subsequent flooding is starkly illustrated by Lucas Molfino, MSF medical co-ordinator in Mozambique.

He said: “Chokwe gives the impression of being a post-war scene. The majority of the population have been evacuated to temporary shelters. In the centre of town there are obvious issues related to sanitation and public health because of dirty stagnant water and the presence of dead animals on the streets.”

MSF estimates are there are around 114 000 people currently staying in 10 transitional camps. Sanitation is a major concern at the largest camp, Chiaquelane, close to Chokwe. There are currently 60 latrines to serve a displaced population of about 50 000 Molfino said.

The two health facilities in the area are out of drugs and malaria rapid tests and attend to about 300 patients a day. There is no ambulance for referrals and the main hospital lacks staff and equipment he added.

The SANDF contingent deployed to Mozambique last week in order to provide humanitarian assistance in the flood stricken areas. The contingent included South African Navy Divers, health professionals from the South African Military Health Services, two Oryx helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft from the South African Air Force. The Maritime Reaction Squadron from the South African Navy is on standby.

- Defence Web

Southern Africa: Floods Situation Report (as of 30 January 2013)

Highlights

Heavy rains continue to fall over northern Mozambique, causing floods in some areas and affecting at least 510 people. Parts of northern and central Madagascar are also
recording heavy rainfall from the same low pressure system located in the Mozambique Channel. Felleng, now a Category Three Tropical Cyclone and expected to strengthen to Category Four in the next 24 hours, continues its southward trajectory, about 200 km parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar. Felleng is projected to bring three to four days of rainfall to the eastern coast of Madagascar; flooding is expected.

Situation Overview

While the flood response in southern Mozambique is continuing, new cases of flooding are being reported in northern Mozambique. Tropical Cyclone Felleng is moving parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar, and while not projected to make landfall, flooding is still expected. River levels are also high across the region.

Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Felleng threatens east coast

Felleng, now a Category Three Tropical Cyclone and expected to strengthen to Category Four in the next 24 hours, continues its southward trajectory, about 200 km parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar (See annex for a planning map of districts likely to be affected by Felleng).

Felleng is projected to bring three to four days of rainfall to the eastern coast of Madagascar. Floods are expected on the eastern coast and possible in the capital Antananarivo (in part also due to the low pressure system in the Mozambique Channel that is bringing rain to parts of northern and central Madagascar and northern Mozambique.

In Antananarivo, the floods contingency plan has been activated. An emergency meeting has been held between the city council and the Red Cross to establish temporary shelters and prepare for possible evacuations.

In other regions, the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) is working with the Red Cross to prepare for possible evacuations. Two BNGRC teams will be deployed to areas at risk, and a Medair Team is already in place.

The UN Country Team has also met and stands ready to respond in support of BNGRC.

Mozambique

New floods in northern Mozambique


Heavy rain continues to fall over northern Mozambique, causing floods in many areas. In the Maganja da Costa district in Zambezia Province, 105 houses have been damaged, affecting 510 people. Assessment of the damage is ongoing.

As more rains over northern Mozambique is expected over the next few days, the situation requires close monitoring.

National authorities have requested sector leads to strengthen their support to provincial Emergency Operation Centers (COE) in the provinces of Zambezia, Cabo Delgado and Niassa.

Mozambique, in dealing with the floods in the south, is already stretched to capacity, therefore additional flooding in the north could have serious humanitarian implications. Flood response continues in the south

The distribution of food and relief supplies by Government and partners in the flood
affected areas in southern Mozambique are ongoing.

Due to high number of people in temporary shelters, the Disaster Management
Technical Council (CTGC) has recommended the strengthening of protections measures in all shelters in Gaza Province.

The UN is sending a helicopter to Gaza to support the provision of relief supplies and to enable access to isolated areas, such as the districts of Chigubo and Chicualacua.

Sanitation is still a major concern in Chokwe district, as well as in the temporary shelters. There is a need for water purification supplies and materials to construct latrines, as well as for antibiotics, oral rehydration salts and mosquito nets. More tents and shelter kits are required to assist those that remain unsheltered. As the
number of those in need continue to increase, more food is also needed. The following information has not changed since yesterday’s report:

At least 48 people have died in severe floods that have devastated southern Mozambique. Some 250,000 people have been affected, of which 146,000 people are still being housed in temporary shelters. Access to some areas continues to be an issue, with many roads and bridges washed away.

The rains over southern Mozambique have ceased for the time being, and the floodwaters are slowly subsiding. Still, many have lost everything in the floods and will thus require continued humanitarian assistance.

The Government of Mozambique, supported by the UN and partners, are responding; and while much support is being provided, more is needed. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is drafting response plans, which should be launched within the next few days. It is hoped that these will be adequately supported, in order to save lives and livelihoods.

Botswana

Flooding in northern Botswana

No new information has been received since yesterday’s report. The information below still the latest:

Flooding due to extremely heavy rains has been reported in the North-East and Central districts of Botswana.

It is still unclear how many people have been affected. However, in Dukwi Refugee Camp around 120 shelters housing 325 refugees have been damaged by high waters. Sewage systems in the camp are also affected. The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), together with Botswana Red Cross Society (BCRS), has responded to address the immediate needs of the affected people. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is supporting the Government of Botswana to assist displaced refugees and has provided food and other basic materials.

The prepositioned relief supplies of both NDMO and BCRS has now been completely exhausted, which could affect their ability to respond to any further flooding that may occur. A full situation report is expected shortly.

Forecast

The low pressure system in the Mozambique Channel will continue to bring heavy rains to northern Mozambique and northern and central Madagascar over the next week. Tropical Cyclone Felleng will also bring heavy rains to the entire eastern coast of Madagascar. Significant rainfall is also forecasted for central South Africa, including Lesotho, as well as much of Zambia and Malawi. The following week
(07 to 15 February), rain is again expected over southern Mozambique, which may again increase water levels.

This report is produced by OCHA Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA ROSA. It covers the period from 29 to 30 January 2013. The next report will be issued on or around 01 February 2013.

Situation Update : Floods over Chokwe, Gaza Province, Mozambique (as of 29 Jan 2013)

This map illustrates satellite-detected areas of flood waters along the Limpopo River in the city of Chokwe of Gaza Province, Mozambique, as detected by WorldView-2 imagery acquired 26 January 2013. Multiple villages including the city of Chokwe are completely inundated by flood waters along the river. However flood waters appear to be receding in this area as they move south of Chokwe. Flood waters have reached as far as Xai Xai south of Chokwe city. East of the Limpopo River additional villages are inundated as flood waters progress south east from the river. Large sections of road and railroad are also affected. This is a preliminary analysis & has not yet been validated in the field.

- UNITAR / UNOSAT / RELIEFWEB.

Mozambique military called in to battle floods

MAPUTO (AFP) - Mozambique's military has been called in to help tackle severe flooding that has killed 48 people and is likely to spread to the country's central and northern regions, officials said Tuesday.

The armed forces have begun helping with clean-up operations in the devastated southern town of Chokwe, which has borne the brunt of the flooding caused by heavy rains.

"We can confirm the army is helping support the affected people," said Benjamim Chabualo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told AFP.

Soldiers have also been involved in rescue efforts and the navy has ferried people by boat to reach areas isolated by flooding.

According to UN figures around 250,000 people have been affected by the floods and 146,000 people are being housed in temporary shelters.

Water levels have begun to recede in the south of the country, but the situation remains critical, and the centre and north are expected to be hit by fresh rain.

In Chokwe many homes have been completely inundated, and the flood surge has left in its wake piles of rubbish, mud and the detritus of lives destroyed.

"In Chokwe families have begun cleaning their homes and (the national civil protection unit) will help the municipality to clean the city," civil protection spokeswoman Rita Almeida said.

Even as the floods ebb in some places, residents faced a tough slog to get clean food, water, shelter and avoid a legion of risks.

"The rains over southern Mozambique have ceased for the time being, and the floodwaters are slowly receding. However, many have lost everything in the floods," according to a UN situation report.

At least 48 people have died, some electrocuted by severed power lines trailing in the water, some crushed by collapsed buildings and some attacked by crocodiles

At temporary shelters aid agencies are feeding approximately 70,000 people.

While tens of thousands of people have made their way to government camps, many more have not.

"We know there are a great many people affected who did not turn up at these centres," said Rita Almeida, Mozambique's national disaster management institute.

Some may have gone to the houses of family and friends, others, in more remote regions, remained stranded.

Helicopters are airlifting food and medical supplies to isolated areas.

"We are lifting supplies to places… where neither boats or vehicles can enter," the Director-General of Mozambique's Disaster Management Institute (INGC) said on national radio.

"We are doing all in our power to get food to people where they need it."

The entire south and centre of the country is still on red alert for floods although authorities say water levels on main rivers are gradually dropping.

Authorities are monitoring the central Sofala and Zambezia provinces which have been registering rains.

"The forecast is it could keep raining for the next 48 hours and that the rain is moving north," Almeida said.

"We appeal to people to take precautions, particularly in houses made of material that is vulnerable to floods."

Some residents have refused to leave their homes out of fear of looting.

"If they stay on top of houses they can't benefit from aid. They prefer staying until the water goes down," Chokwe mayor, Jorge Macuácua told AFP.

- AFP/RELIEFWEB

Flash flooding strikes Zimbabwe’s dry areas

Photo: WFP/Naomi Scott - Several countries in Southern Africa have been affected by flooding and hundreds of thousands of people require humanitarian assistance

HARARE, 29 January 2013 (IRIN) - Flash flooding across Zimbabwe’s Masvingo and Matabeleland provinces, normally dry areas, has caused substantial damage to infrastructure. While more than 4,000 people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance following heavy rains.

“Our area is normally dry, and we were caught unawares by the floods, which destroyed almost all the bridges and badly damaged the roads. As a result, communication is difficult,” Alois Baloyi, member of parliament (MP) representing the Chiredzi North rural constituency in Masvingo, told IRIN.

“I have… been informed that more than 10 adults and at least four children have drowned. The number of victims could be bigger, though, as a proper assessment is yet to be done,” he said.

Moses Mare, an MP from a nearby constituency in Chiredzi, said recent flash floods saw water rise above ground floor window level, and affected more than 200 families in the sugar-producing town of Triangle.

“The 240 families lost their food stocks, property and blankets. Most of them lost their means of communication as their cell phones were swept away and [they] could not immediately communicate the disaster,” he said.

Simon Machaya, teacher based in the Masvingo’s Mwenezi District, told IRIN that 30 satellite schools in rural communities were destroyed by storms.

“Hundreds of school children are currently not attending school because their classrooms were blown away. These satellite schools were made up of fragile material such as home-made bricks and thatched roofs. The little stationery and books they had were lost and there is urgent need for assistance,” Machaya said.

Flooding across the region

A 29 January situation report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, “Heavy rainfall across the country during mid-January 2013 affected an estimated 8,490 people, of which 4,615 people require humanitarian assistance in the form of emergency shelter and non-food items.”

Across the region, floods have occurred in Botswana and Malawi - where 30,785 people were affected - and Mozambique. In Mozambique, about 250,000 people have been affected, with 146,000 living in temporary shelters, the OCHA situation report said.

Tropical Cyclone Felleng is expected to shave past Madagascar in the next few days, and could bring “significant rainfall” despite not making landfall. There were also reports of increasing river levels in the capital, Antananarivo, which could “reach alert levels with additional rainfall,” the OCHA flood update said.

- Irin

Video : Mozambique Floods

Mozambique, 27 January -- South Africa's neighbouring country is warning of a national catastrophe as floodwaters continue to rise. With the number of casualties increasing, emergency workers have ramped up evacuations.

- E-NCA

Mozambique floods spur roof births, ruin and diarrhoea

Residents on rooftops trying to evade flood waters in Chokwe, Mozambique. Image by: FERHAT MOMAD

GUIJA, Mozambique, Jan 28, 2013 (AFP) - Now that the water is receding, residents affected by flooding in Mozambique are starting to repair the damage, looking for good news amid reports of rooftop births and diarrhoea, and cholera lurking in the shadows.

The flooding from the Limpopo river, which began on Wednesday, killed around 40 people and forced more than 100,000 others to flee.

Amid the catastrophe, two babies were born on roofs where their mothers had taken refuge in the southern village of Guija.

"We helped one woman give birth on the roof of a clinic and another on top of a house when the water came," Guija's district health director Antonio Assede told AFP.

"One of the babies is four-day-old Rofino, who appears healthy at her mother's breast."

Olalia Machava, an aunt who assisted in the birth, added: "We had climbed to the top of the house when she started to have pains.

"A nurse helped her. The next day in the afternoon they came in boats to take her to hospital."

The mud-filled hospital in Guija is empty, with all the furniture and equipment drying outside, while a nurse distributes painkillers to the sick and ensures the injured are airlifted to hospitals outside the area.

Local medical staff have already treated around 70 cases of diarrhoea and are keeping an eye out for cholera and other waterborne diseases.

"The children are beginning to get sick with diarrhoea because of the dirty water they are drinking. Their parents too," Guija nurse Lourdes Machava told AFP.

Children in the village said they have had no drinking water nor food since Wednesday.

Apart from air transport, which is reserved for urgent cases, the only way to access the community of roughly 7,000 residents is by boat.

Local officials estimate that Guija will remain isolated for at least three months, the time it will take to rebuild the roads and bridges swept away by the Limpopo waters.

In the neighbouring town of Chokwe, the 9,000 residents who stayed behind -- out of a population of 60,000 -- began clean-up efforts, laying out to dry the possessions they were able to salvage.

Others walked through the streets drunk, having helped themselves to alcohol in flood-damaged stores in a town in urgent need of clean water and food.

With relief efforts focused on camps located around 30 kilometres (20 miles) away, some locals said they were struggling to get their hands on emergency supplies.

A bereaved father recalled how on Wednesday the flood waters swept his five-year-old daughter from his arms as they tried to escape to higher ground.

"The water was up to my neck. I was carrying her. The water took her," Jose Nhanve told AFP.

He said h

e spent two days scouring the edges of the floodwaters for Eldinha and making enquiries with the authorities, without success.

Four bodies were found in Chokwe, whose flood-ravaged streets were also littered with rotting animal carcasses.

According to a toll from the United Nations on Friday, the severe flooding killed at least 36 people, most in the southern province of Gaza.

The floods, which have also hit neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe, are the result of days of torrential rains this month that swelled the river.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said Sunday that the number of people forced to flee their homes in the Limpopo valley had reached 108,000.

About 23,000 families have sought shelter in camps in Gaza, and the UN World Food Programme has begun feeding some 75,000 flood-affected people, according to the United Nations.

While the river has started to recede in Chokwe and Guija, the situation remains serious in the partly inundated coastal tourist city of Xai-Xai.

Some 45,000 people were thought to be at risk there from the deluge, Rita Almeida, a spokeswoman for Mozambique's Disaster Relief Management Institute, told AFP.

- ReliefWeb

Relief Aid: Mozambique Flood Victims

100 TONS OF RELIEF AID FOR MOZAMBIQUE FLOOD VICTIMS

Greetings of Peace

Dear Recipients

Mozambique is in severe distress affected by devastating floods yet again.  The Mozambican government does not have the resources to cope given the magnitude of the disaster and will require emergency international assistance to respond appropriately to its 80 000 displaced civilians. It is expected that this number will increase substantially.  In some areas whole villages have been submerged.  The situation is dire with major crop destruction, food insecurity, HUNGER, absence of clean drinking water, homelessness, the danger of cholera, malaria and diarrhoea.  Individuals are drinking infected flood waters, eating dead animals, grasshoppers and whatever they can find out of desperation.

Gift of the Givers will be augmenting the relief efforts of the SANDF and have offered boats, divers, aquatic rescue personnel, paramedics and medical teams if required in the event the water level rises again.  In addition, a 100 ton emergency aid package is being prepared at our Bramley warehouse for immediate transport to Mozambique.  General Solly Shoke, General Mabanga and Colonel Coetzee are in communication with our teams preparing the logistics, partnership and joint response.  The response of the SANDF to our request and offer of assistance was swift, positive and very encouraging.  At a meeting early this morning it was confirmed that as many military trucks as required together with a military escort will be provided for our supplies and teams into Mozambique.  The SANDF is meeting DIRCO today to facilitate all diplomatic clearances.  SANDF teams will be at our Bramley warehouse tomorrow.

Our representative in Maputo is in direct communication with the Mozambican government, warehouses are being sourced and feeding centres will be set up today as our first response team is on its way there.  

The participation of all South Africans as an African response, in the spirit of AFCON, to a brother African nation in great difficulty can only enhance the spirit of brotherhood and unity on the continent.  Tents, blankets, new clothing, basic food items, ready-to-eat high energy food supplements, bottled water, water purification tablets, plastic dishes, sanitary pads, diapers, medical supplies and other relevant items will be delivered.  South Africans and fellow Africans wanting to bring in supplies can do so at any of our offices or warehouses.  Cash contributions to Gift of the Givers, Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg, Account No. 052278611, Branch code 057525, reference Mozambique.  Please email or fax deposit slip with details.

Gift of the Givers has assisted Mozambique with flood relief both in 2000 and 2001, responded to the needs of Mozambican xenophobia victims in 2008 and provided transport to repatriate over a hundred of them to their country in that period.  Emergency medical supplies were provided during an accidental ammunitions explosion in Maputo a few years ago.

Gift of the Givers is presently responding to the floods in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the storm damage in various parts of KZN and will present the first model house for shack fire victims in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth today.

Details 0800 786 911

Imtiaz Sooliman
Cell: 083 236 4029