Floods in Mozambique - January 2008

Once more the New Year begins with flooding in Mozambique. We have watched news bulletins, seen pictures from the Zambezi in the Church Times and read conflicting reports about whether there is an ‘E’mergency or not. Some Aid agencies have begun appeals while Joe Hanlon’s News updates at the Open University report that Aid agencies have been criticised for reacting too quickly (see issues 120 & 121). Excellent daily bulletins issued by the National Water Directorate (Direccao Nacional de Aguas) give weather forecasts, dam water levels and discharges, and river flows. They have graphs comparing present levels to the most recent bad flood. And they have flood forecasts which are now being posted daily.

We had news from our partners in Lebombo and Niassa which answers the question:

BISHOP DINIS writes from Lebombo:

Mozambique again under damaging waters.

During the last quarter of 2007 we were praying for rain because the drought was so severe in some parts of the country. Now there is too much water in some parts of the country and we are praying that rains stop here and in the neighbouring countries. However praying is not a substitute for not being involved in practical material terms to repair the damage caused by much water. There has been much damage so far in the areas near rivers Save, Púngoe and Zambeze where houses and fields have been the major casualties people have lost their belongings and fields will not produce as soon as it would be desirable. Crops, domestic equipment and food have been destroyed.

How can we as a Church respond?

If we can target Nhamatanda, where about 10,000 people have been affected as they lost their field and some their belongings as they moved to safer places we would restore their hope. Four items would help at this moment: Food, blankets, seeds and capulanas (piece of clothing of multiform use), all to be acquired locally, either in Beira or Chimoio, except capulana which may be purchased in Maputo.

SENA AND CAIA

This is an area which has been so badly hit by floods as they were trying to recover from last year’s floods. It is an area which is already impoverished where any help, whether education, health, agriculture, Church building, children’s project, civic education, would be welcomed like “a glass of water to a thirsty throat” under any circumstance, let alone now with this disaster.

Our response as a Church.

Taking into consideration the fact that floods are a recurring phenomenon and that they hit the same areas:

Warning methods need to be in place, through proper training of local leaders and with mobility to reach the wider community. Resources for training in three or four centres, and bicycles to enable mobility could save lives and property.

Emergency relief for the present crises, consisting of seeds, blankets, capulanas and hygienic items. All these can be purchased locally, in Beira, Chimoio or other places in the Country.

Prayer support and finding ways of facing or avoiding the phenomenon with maturity, debating the issue in a wider context.

Our aim would be to reach about 15,000 people in the area of Sena and Caia, hoping that the impact of our intervention may be notable, both in responses to the current crises and also at the long term.

The Church, through the Mothers Union network would be able to channel whatever is acquired. The youth and catechists form also a good network. And as we hear of cases of cholera and malaria, health matters became part of the solution called for, such solution could be provision for drinking water and malaria response. The situation calls for a quick and generous response.”

We can provide more information if required.

Together in the Gospel.

The Right Reverend Dinis Salomão Sengulane Bishop of Lebombo

REVD HELEN VAN KOEVERING writes from Niassa:

Floods in Zambezia: “Worse than 2000”

You will have heard that Mozambique is again suffering from floods following heavy rains here. Whilst the whole of our diocese is experiencing very heavy rains this season, the Zambezi is again overflowing, as are its tributaries. Our archdeacon, Bonifacio Finiasse, and Padre Eugenio Mepo of Quelimane and Morrumbala, have reported the floods as being even worse than those of 2000.

One tributary, the Shire River, reaches very isolated rural places, places not mentioned by NGO’s who are working further south. It is remote, being 300 km from Quelimane, and the Mozambican government is concerned, after helicopter surveillance has brought news of about 7 hectares of rice and 8 hectares of maize destroyed in Shire district. Whole villages are fleeing to Malawi, 646 families so far, with 1,300 families predicted by the end of January. The numbers of displaced families are increasing daily: Chiromo has 970 displaced families; Chirombe has 798; Tengane 327.

Whilst, the government is encouraging rebuilding of homes in new, higher places, offering cement and other help as incentives, we have one priest in Shire, Padre Albano, who has been flooded out of his house with his wife and four children yet his house is on the highest street, 200 metres from the river! The floods are wreaking havoc, and disaster Padre Albano has reported the death of ten members of one of our churches in a canoe accident, just one catastrophe among many.

Last year, our church supported communities in the Shire district, and we want to do this again. In two years of work, Pd Albano has established 16 congregations there, each with baptized members of about 100. The government post there knows us, and trusts us to respond. Our capacity is limited, especially since the accident of Pd Albano in November which left him with a hip injury, but the diocese of Niassa intends to help next week, through our church in Quelimane and our MU worker, with plastic covers for roofing, mosquito nets, tablets for clean water treatment and capalanas (the cloths women wear and use for every eventuality). We shall focus on three areas: Megaza, Pinda and the Administrative Post of Shire, where Pd Albano lives. We have 12 congregations in these areas who shall help with the distribution and logistics. Later, in March or April, we hope to return with seeds, but the harvests for this year are clearly going to be limited, and the district may even need food later in the year.

This is written to give you news and to ask for your prayers for these communities and congregations, laity and clergy; for all those who are working to help in this situation; and for God to bless, encourage and uphold His people.