The Government of India sent food and humanitarian aid to Mozambique on Tuesday, March 10, following floods that affected several regions of the country. The assistance includes 500 metric tons of rice, as well as emergency supplies and medicines, in an effort to provide a rapid response to the humanitarian crisis.
The official spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that the shipment is part of an immediate response by the Asian country to support the affected populations. The aid includes 500 metric tons of rice and ten metric tons of essential relief supplies.
In a post on the social media platform X, Randhir Jaiswal said: “India expresses its solidarity with Mozambique after the devastating floods that hit the central and southern provinces of the country.” He added that the support is part of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, an international mechanism for disaster response.
According to the spokesperson, the response also includes “the shipment of ten tons of essential relief supplies, such as tents, hygiene kits, and other rehabilitation support items, in addition to three tons of essential medicines transported on board an Indian Navy vessel.”
Randhir Jaiswal also highlighted that “86 tons of vital medicines have already been delivered by sea,” strengthening logistical and medical support for the affected communities. He emphasized that the initiative aims to alleviate the situation for populations impacted by the floods. “India remains committed to providing multifaceted support – humanitarian, medical, and logistical – reaffirming its role as a reliable partner in the Indian Ocean region and in Africa,” added the spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Floods are among the most frequent and destructive natural disasters in Mozambique. A Contingency Action Plan, developed by the non-governmental organization Action for Rural Development (ADRA) Mozambique and the SEPPA Foundation, under the West Africa Humanitarian Action for Flood Anticipation (WAHAFA) program of the German humanitarian organization Welthungerhilfe, defines how communities and partners should prepare and respond before the floods impact.
The plan follows guidelines from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and highlights that anticipatory action can save lives and protect livelihoods. Global assessments, such as the INFORM Risk Index (Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness) 2024 and the ND-GAIN Index (Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative) 2021, classify Mozambique as highly vulnerable to natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, poverty, and infrastructure limitations.
Source: Asian News International (ANI)
