At least 66 people have been killed and 141,000 affected after heavy rains deluged central and northern Mozambique, the government has said as it appealed for funds to manage the crisis.
Cabinet spokeswoman, Ana Comoana, said that the government has decreed a red alert due to the continuing rains and the approach of the tropical cyclone Idai, expected to reach the country between Thursday to Friday.
She spoke to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Maputo to discuss the emergency. The floods in one of Africa’s poorest countries have already destroyed 5,756 homes, affecting 15,467 households and 141,325 people.
In neighboring Malawi, floods have already claimed 45 lives and left over 230,000 people without shelter.
Malawi’s Meteorological Department has warned of more rains and flooding in the country’s south between Thursday and Sunday.
In Mozambique, 111 people have been injured, 18 hospitals destroyed, 938 classrooms destroyed and 9,763 students affected. The government spokeswoman added that more than 168,000 hectares (415,000 acres) of crops were destroyed.
