Brussels, 16/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to allocate €2 million in emergency humanitarian aid to flood victims in Mozambique where torrential rains have killed dozens, made thousands homeless and destroyed crops.
The funds, from the budget of the Commission's humanitarian aid service, ECHO, will finance the resettlement of victims to safer areas with access to drinking water and healthcare, and will be used to re-establish crop and livestock production.
Of the four countries of Southern Africa affected by recent torrential rains, Mozambique is the most severely hit. The flooded valley of Zambeze, in the centre of the country, is the most hard-hit area with 60,000 people evacuated and another 100,000 still in a high-risk situation. One ECHO expert is in the region to assess essential needs and maintain a link with ECHO partner humanitarian organisations on the ground (specialised agencies of the United Nations, Red Cross, Red Crescent). (an)