South Africa to Reinforce Mozambique's Response to Cyclone Favio

Tshwane-The Minister of Provincial and Local Government, Sydney Mufamadi, responsible for disaster management, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad, returned from Mozambique to South Africa today, Saturday, 24 February 2007, on a mission to determine the nature of support required by the people of Mozambique. This trip comes in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone, Favio, which struck parts of Southern Mozambique on Thursday 22 February 2007. The country had initially experienced extreme flooding in its Northern Region (the Zambezi River Basin) exacerbated by further rainfall in neighbouring countries.

The Mozambican Government has proactively implemented numerous contingency plans and mobilised significant resources to pre-empt and deal with the direct effects of the disaster. The affected areas were evacuated prior to the Tropical Cyclone reaching land and leaving a large number of people displaced, and now accommodated in temporary shelters. So far three deaths have been reported due to the cyclone and 30 people lost their lives due to the floods.

South Africa will further support this effort. We have pledged our solidarity and we are confident that the people of Mozambique will overcome this calamity.

The immediate needs for humanitarian assistance include helicopters, tents for displaced people who are now living in temporary accommodation centres, roof sheeting for the reconstruction of homes, water treatment plants for the accommodation and resettlement centres.

We are ready to provide the material assistance required by the Government of Mozambique. These include the provision of the helicopters to transport food to the temporary accommodation centres. We will also provide a liaison officer to be stationed in Maputo for the duration of the relief as well as an assessment team for more detailed planning.

We will provide an extra 170 flying hours for the monitoring of activities in the entire affected area. We are investigating the possibility of providing mobile water purification units. In addition to the above, our Urban Search and Rescue Capacity is on standby and they will be deployed should the need arise.

In respect of health issues the Mozambican Government indicated that a situational analysis was underway. Pending this, an advanced medical rescue team is also on standby.

For more information contact

Zandile Ratshitanga on 082 460 2041
Department of Provincial and Local Government

Issued by

Department of Foreign Affairs
Provate Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

24 February 2007