About 12,000 school children have resumed classes in tents, although some still under trees, in 22 accommodation centres in the disrtrict of Mutarara, in the western Tete province.
Meanwhile, at least 166 people, who had been isolated becausee of the escalating of the waters of the Buzi river in the localities of Estaquinha, Nimanicua, and some suburbs of the Buzi town, had been rescued to safety by Sunday morning.
Of the rescued people, 50 are children from the Guaraguara orphanage which buildings collapsed in the floods, while 60 other people came from Estaquinha and the remainder 56 from the Buzi town.
To supply water to the accommodation centres, the government, through the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), with the support of UNICEF, has provided four water treatment stations, each with the capacity of processing 50,000 litres a day, a quantity that is thought to be sufficient to serve between 3,000 and 5,000 people.
On the other hand, the food shortage in those centres is gradually being overcome, despite the poor conditions of the access roads.
Carlos Laice, who is the coordinator of the Emergency Commission of the Water National Directorate, said that, for instance, the road linking the Chemba and Sena districts, in the central Sofala province, has been rendered impassable because of the collapse of two small bridges over the weekend.
For his part, Castro Bongisse, of the Mozambique Red Cross, said that 57 activists have been placed full time in the accommodation centres to provide first aid to the flood victims and help distribute basic utensils, foodstuffs, tents and tarpaulins.
In terms of health, Tete provincial health director Luisa Cumba said, during a visit to the Mutarara district, that the situation in the accommodation centres where until last week there were reports of many cases of malaria and simple diarrhoeas, is now under control.
To assist in the rescue operations, the government of Botswana offered 11 motorboats worth about 350,000 rands (about 50,400 US dollars).
The boats, that were transported in a cargo plane of the Botswana Defense and Security Force, were received by Sofala governor Alberto Vaquina at the Baira international airport on Saturday.
On the occasion, Botswana director for Africa Thuso Ramodimoost explained that because his government learnt of the suffering of this brother people because of floods, has decided to lend a hand.
For his part, Vaquina thanked the gesture, saying that it is gratifying to feel the solidarity of neighbour brothers.
He briefed the Botswana delegation on the situation in the Zambezi valley, saying that these equipments will help improve the country's response in rescue operations.
He took the opportunity to invite Ramodimoost to visit Mozambique in a normal time, to see not only the beauty of the country, but also to learn of investment opportunities.
SOURCE: AIM
