Flooding in Mozambique and Zimbabwe by Tomasz Schafernaker
Thousands of people in Mozambique, displaced by flooding last year, are being evacuated again as the rising Zambezi river threatens their resettlement camps.
Torrential rains have prompted fears that this year’s floods could be worse than last year, when at least 40 people died and more than 120 000 had to leave their homes.
So far this rainy season, 5 people have drowned and 2 were eaten by crocodiles. Several thousand have already had to leave their homes with more at risk. Many families have fled raging floodwaters which swamped scores of small towns and large areas of agricultural land in Mozambique’s central Sofala province.
In neighbouring Zimbabwe, at least 27 people have died where rains are reportedly the worst since colonial era records; washing away crops and worsening the country’s economic woes.
Since late November when the rainy season started, the heavy downpours have led to a sharp rise in the levels of rivers Zambezi, Pongue, Buzi and Save. Currently the River Zambezi is almost two meters (6 feet) above the warning level.
The forecast for the next few days is not good with more rain expected, perhaps until April, as the rainy season continues. This could mean major flooding in southern Africa with potential catastrophic consequences.
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