The government revealed in Parliament that the floods and inundations in January affected various economic infrastructures and damaged at least 64 hotel establishments in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, causing estimated losses of €31.1 million.
Responding to parliamentary questions, the Minister of State Administration and Public Service, Inocêncio Impissa, said the damage was most severe in the districts of Chókwè and Guijá, as well as in the city of Xai-Xai, adding that 1,300 commercial establishments were affected, including those in the districts of Sussundenga and Búzi in Manica and Sofala provinces.
“Approximately 50 kilometers of water distribution networks were also affected across the provinces of Manica, Sofala, Inhambane, Gaza, and Maputo, along with total and partial damage to water pumping stations, siltation of water sources, and increased turbidity of raw water, impacting around 900,000 people,” he described.
The minister emphasized that climate change is a reality, increasingly intense and severe, requiring long-term solutions to address phenomena occurring in areas previously considered safe.
“Effective responses to climate risks require not only emergency actions but, above all, medium- and long-term policies that promote resilience, sustainable development, and reduced community vulnerability,” he stated.
Impissa revealed that 351 personnel, both national and international, including volunteer lifeguards, were deployed since the start of the rainy season, using 68 boats, 4 aircraft, 10 helicopters, 14 drones, and 25 satellite antennas for monitoring, rescue, and data collection.
“To combat animal diseases, 169,100 vaccine doses have been delivered for tuberculosis and nodular dermatose in cattle, and 155,000 doses for rabies control,” he added, noting that the government requires €6.7 million to repair at least 180 damaged healthcare units.
To mitigate the impact of the floods in Gaza, the government is mobilizing $1.2 billion for the construction and operation of the Mapai dam, with a capacity of 7.2 billion cubic meters, through a public-private partnership.
Updated data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD) indicate 270 deaths. Since October, 869,000 people (over 200,800 families) have been affected, with 10 missing and 333 injured.
Specifically, the January floods caused 43 deaths, 147 injuries, and 9 missing persons, affecting 724,131 people. The passage of Cyclone Gezani in Inhambane between February 13–14 caused 4 additional deaths and affected 9,040 people.
According to INGD, the floods damaged thousands of homes: 6,182 destroyed, 15,330 partially damaged, and 183,824 flooded. 302 health units, 83 places of worship, and 720 schools were also affected. In agriculture, 399,749 hectares of crops were lost and 530,998 animals (cattle, goats, and poultry) perished.
Infrastructure losses included 7,845 km of roads, 36 bridges, and 123 aqueducts. Since the rainy season began in October (lasting until April), INGD has activated 149 accommodation centers, which have sheltered 113,478 people, with 19 centers still operational.
Source: Diário Económico
