WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-01-09 Time: 00:00:00 Posted By: Jan
By Emmanuel Camillo
Maputo, Mozambique – Relief agencies have sounded the alert that torrential rains and flooding in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are threatening tens of thousands of people, and that the worst is still to come.
The British charity Save The Children said on Tuesday that up to 250 000 people, half of them children, could be affected in Mozambique as rapidly rising rivers forced them to seek safety on higher ground.
Tete, a town of 153 000 inhabitants in north-western Mozambique, was completely flooded on Tuesday following the surge of water from the Cahora Bassa dam into the Zambezi river. “Offices, homes, shops and roads are under water,” state radio reported.
Mozambican authorities, who have become skilled in disaster management, had evacuated most inhabitants from the low-lying town centre, and there were no immediate reports of casualties. Four people have died so far since the rains started mid-December.
But aid organisations warned that the flooding could have major repercussions for the impoverished nation, which is still recovering from floods and a cyclone that hit in February.
The United Nations Children’s Fund appealed for $2.4-million for emergency supplies.
The Mozambique government last week declared its highest level of alert, saying the Zambezi, the Pungue, the Buzi and the Save rivers all were above critical levels.
The Mozambique News Agency said shelters in some regions could only be reached by boat.
Seasonal flooding is not unusual in southern Africa. But the UN said it was concerned the rains have been heavier and come earlier than the normal February peak this year. In addition to flooding, there are fears of an increased risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and of malaria.
John Holmes, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said Monday that humanitarian needs would increase in the weeks ahead.
Transport links between port cities in Mozambique and the landlocked neighbouring countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, have been badly hit.
In Zambia, the government has launched a multimillion-dollar contingency plan to deal with the effects of floods, and has placed 34 of 72 districts on red alert.
Authorities warned the situation might become more acute if rain continues to fall in Zimbabwe – where rains are reported to be the heaviest since colonial era records began a century ago.
In Zimbabwe, at least 27 people have died, and health authorities reported treating more than 400 cases of severe diarrhoea blamed on collapsing sanitation worsened by torrential rain in Harare’s impoverished eastern townships.
The International Organisation for Migration said Tuesday it was assessing the needs of thousands of homeless families throughout the country, and trying to distribute shelter and sanitation supplies and mosquito nets.
World Vision said more than 50 000 people had been affected in its programs in Zimbabwe. – Sapa-AP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20080108220929207C947644