The government announced this Tuesday, November 11, that 90% of the infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Idai, which devastated central Mozambique—particularly Sofala Province—in March 2019, has already been rebuilt.
According to the spokesperson of the Council of Ministers, Salim Valá, the work was carried out under the Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Program (PREPOC), highlighting that 3,514 classrooms have been restored to benefit primary and secondary education in several districts affected by the storm.
Valá also reported the rehabilitation of 36 health units, with another 54 currently under reconstruction. “We have inaugurated at least 11,457 homes, corresponding to 55% of the planned housing. Of the total houses delivered, 7,914 were newly built, and 3,543 were rehabilitated.”
In terms of business recovery, the spokesperson announced the signing of 600 grant agreements with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), totaling 475 million meticais (7.3 million USD).
“The reconstruction deadline was not strictly met due to limited resources, but the plan is being executed, and we believe that all infrastructure-related actions are progressing well, supported by assistance to entrepreneurs,” he acknowledged.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which occurs annually between October and April. Between last December and March, during the latest cyclone season, Mozambique was hit by three cyclones, including Chido—the first and most severe—at the end of 2024.
The number of cyclones affecting the country “has been increasing over the past decade,” as has wind intensity, warns the State of the Climate in Mozambique 2024 report by the Mozambique Institute of Meteorology, published in March.
Extreme weather events have caused at least 1,016 deaths in Mozambique between 2019 and 2023, affecting approximately 4.9 million people, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
Source: Diário Económico
