The Mozambican Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Mesquita, said on Thursday, August 31, that the government needs around 120 million dollars to build the dam on the Muera River, in Cabo Delgado province.
“The dam alone is valued at around 50 million dollars. However, there is other work to be done around it, including a distribution system and expansion of the network. All this will cost around 120 million dollars,” said Carlos Mesquita.
The information was given in the Chudi neighborhood, in the town of Mueda, in the north of Cabo Delgado, during the delivery of standpipes to respond to a water shortage aggravated by the number of families displaced by the armed conflict.
The district of Mueda, 314 kilometers from Pemba, is the only one that has never suffered a direct rebel attack, but is home to thousands of displaced people from neighbouring areas, especially Mocímboa da Praia.
“With these systems, which we are in the process of delivering, the water supply will increase by 50%. We guarantee a daily supply without interruption,” said Carlos Mesquita.
The province of Cabo Delgado has been affected by a conflict since 2017 that has terrified the population. Groups of armed rebels have pillaged and massacred villages and towns all over the province and a variety of attacks have been claimed by the ‘arm’ of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in that region. The conflict has already caused more than 4,000 deaths (data from The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project) and at least one million displaced people, according to an assessment made by the Mozambican authorities.
