Two children die in Limpopo flood

Two children have died in the flooding in the Limpopo Valley, in the southern province of Gaza. The children lost their lives on 4 March when, along with seven adults, they were crossing the Limpopo River in a rowing boat, attempting to reach Chibuto district. According to district administrator Brigida Matavele, the boat overturned, and the two children drowned. All the adults were rescued.

The river inundated parts of Chokwe, Guija and Chibuto districts, although it did not reach the predicted height of 8.3 metres. This would have been 3.3 metres above flood alert level, and enough for the river to have swept over the top of the dyke built to protect Chokwe town. The maximum reported height of the Limpopo at Chokwe was 7.5 metres.

In Chokwe, 1,366 hectares of crops were flooded and 600 regarded as lost. In Guija, 906 hectares are flooded, and in Chibuto more than 300 hectares are said to be lost.

Visiting the Limpopo Valley at the weekend, Joao Machatine, the general director of the Mozambican relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), said that, when the waters retreat, it is crucial to take advantage of the humidity and replant.

“We shall work with our partners to reduce food aid and acquire seeds”, said Machatine. Chokwe needs 22 tonnes of seeds, Guija 40 tonnes and Chibuto 10 tonnes. Two-thirds of these requirements are for maize seeds and the rest for beans.

Source: AIM

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