During the rainy season, between October 2006 and March 2007 Mozambique suffered the combined effects of strong winds, floods and a cyclone, that affected about half a million people.
The government, through Prime Minister Luisa Diogo, announced this figure for the first time on 5 March, Planning and Development Minister Aiuba Cuereneia confirmed them at the Maputo adjoining city of Matola on Monday, during the opening session of a meeting of the Poverty Observatory.
He said that of this amount, 51 million US dollars are to be used in rehabilitating public infrastructures, while the remainder 20 million are earmarked for the repair of damages in the private sector.
The Poverty Observatory is a Consultative Forum that gathers representatives of the government, the civil society and the international partners, to assess the results of the government programmes in the fight against poverty, specifically concerning the Absolute Poverty Relief Action Plan (PARPA), that is now in its second phase.
Cuereneia said that, to add to the damages caused by the natural disasters, there is drought in the southern region of the country, the spring tides along the coast and the drama caused by the violent explosions of the Armed Forces arsenal in the Maputo outskirts of Malhazine on Thursday, that caused more than 100 reported deaths.
'These tragedies represent a setback on our efforts in the fight against poverty, but the affected people and the population at large have been showing determination to lead in seeking solutions to face the cyclical disasters', said Cuereneia.
He added that during the first year of the implementation of PARPA II there was a remarkable progress, in global terms, and the current challenge is to bring the target groups to be interested in the implementation of the programme, giving priority to the rural areas.
PARPA II, to be implemented in the 2006/09 period, aims at reducing poverty from the 54 per cent in 2003 to about 45 per cent in 2009.
To illustrate the progresses achieved, Cuereneia mentioned the maintenance of macroeconomic stability, the control of inflation at about 9.4 per cent, and the growth in exports, that attained 2.391 million US dollars, which represents a 37 per cent growth if compared with that of 2005.
To add to these achievements, Mozambique introduced the new family of the metical, the country's currency, and has approved 157 new investment projects valued at 276 million US dollars, that can create about 19,000 new job posts.
Cuerenia said that, in terms of infrastructures, 822 kilometres of roads, and 1,500 water sources have been rehabilitated, thus bringing to 43 per cent the coverage rate of water supply in the rural areas. Officially, about 80 per cent of the Mozambican population live in the rural areas.
In terms of governance, Cuereneia stressed the introduction of the Public Function National Authority, aimed at strengthening the efficiency of the services rendered by the state apparatus, the second phase of the Public Service Sector Reform, the completion of reforms of the Civil Process Code, the Penal Process, and the strengthening of the Community Policing Councils.
Speaking of the health sector, Cuereneia said that 553 new staff were placed in the health units, including 38 doctors and a number of medium and basic technicians, and also the increase in the number of maternity units that, among other things, will cater for mothers infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, bringing the number of beneficiaries from 5,869 in 2005 to 10,763 in 2006.
Meanwhile, the International Red Cross has donated 17 million US dollars in support of the victims of natural disasters in the country.
Mozambique Red Cross (CVM) general secretary Fernanda Teixeira is cited in Tuesday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias" as saying that this money will be used to help build improved houses for the victims and in the purchase of seeds, agricultural tools.
CVM has received promises further promises of support from countries such as Spain, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and the European Union as an organization.
SOURCE: AIM
