Mozambique has stepped up emergency preparations amid fears that another devastating tropical storm could batter coastal areas just weeks after Cyclone Idai claimed hundreds of lives in the country.
The Mozambican government has teamed up with the United Nations and other partners to mitigate the effects of the forecasted storm.
“We are expecting that heavy rain will provoke flash floods and landslides impacting the north-eastern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula,” Word Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson Herve Verhoosel said.
“Another storm would be an additional blow for the people of Mozambique and further complicate the response in all areas.”
Emergency reserves including some 300 metric tons of food aid have been availed in the northern coastal towns of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia, where humanitarian partners have been advised “to prepare the warehouses to protect the food and to weather the storm.”
Mozambique is still reeling from the effects of Cyclone Idai which swept through the southern parts of the country last month.
While the cyclone also swept through Zimbabwe and Malawi, Mozambique was the most affected by the storm, with 602 people killed and over 1,600 injured.
“More than a million people (are) struggling to get back on their feet,” although floodwaters have receded in most areas, Mr. Verhoosel said.
