Mozambique hit by drought
Strong drought hits
parts of Mozambique
but is worse in neighbours
One of the strongest El Niño events of the last 50 years has caused an intense drought in large parts of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Lesotho where the October to January rainfall has been the lowest in 35 years.
This follows a 2014-2015 agricultural season that was similarly hot and dry, causing a 23% drop in regional cereal production. In Mozambique the drought is the worst in 35 years in Maputo province, southern Gaza and Inhambane, northern Manica, northern Tete, and western Zambezia.
By contrast, other areas north of the River Save, including key parts of Nampula and Zambezia, are expected to have a normal harvest. Indeed, heavy rain, floods and lightning strikes have killed 45 people so far in the north; 1200 houses have been destroyed by floods.
A joint UN statement is on http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/382932
A UN news release contains two maps showing the regional extent of the problem. One is reproduced in the attached pdf, and both are on http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53222
The flow in the Limpopo River is very low and on Friday 12 February it was reported that extra water is being released from the Massingir Dam (on the Elephants River, a tributary of the Limpopo) to provide water for rice in the Limpopo Valley.
The government estimates that 166,000 people are in need of food aid, and Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario has been touring the drought-stricken areas.
Meanwhile, Sofala governor Helena Taipo said the Provincial Disaster Management Technical Council (CTPGC) is incapable of responding promptly to emergency situations and had been giving her false reports. (AIM 29 Jan)
MOZAMBIQUE 309
News reports & clippings
15 February 2016
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Editor: Joseph Hanlon ( j.hanlon@open.ac.uk)
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