In the Nhamatanda District – 100 km north west of Beira where Concern is working – 95% of the maize, beans and ground nuts were destroyed by the floods, just weeks before they were due to be harvested, he said. This was the main crop of the year and people’s main source of food for the region until October.
“Right now the clock is ticking and we have two weeks to get tools and seeds to people to enable them plant a ‘winter’ crop or face a food shortage until next March. We are in a race against time.”
With the flood waters only receding now, a major international aid operation is ramping up in Mozambique where 1.85 million people were affected and 198,000 houses were destroyed or damaged.
Accessibility is one the biggest challenges Concern’s team are facing in rural areas. “In some cases you can see villages, but the fields are swamps and when you try and cross them you find yourself up to your middle in mud,” he said.
During the last fortnight, Concern teams have waded through flooded areas to reach villages. They are now planning a major distribution programme to get aid out to these areas.