アフリカ南部で大洪水（和文要約、本文は英文）

ヨハネスブルグ発−現在アフリカ南部一帯における大洪水により、この地域の人命や住居、そして穀物が危険にさらされている。特に集中的な被害を受けているのはモザンビークである。周辺のマラウイ・ザンビア・ジンバブエに降った雨がザンベジ川などに流れ込み、その下流域にあたるモザンビークではこの1週間近く警戒水位を超えている状況にある。

○ モザンビークにおける状況悪化
モザンビークでは河川の警戒水位を超えており、さらに周辺国からの雨の流入により今後も推移が上がると見込まれていることから、状況の悪化が懸念されている。モザンビーク政府は軍隊を動員し、最も被害の深刻な地域から住民を避難させてきた。そのような地域の一つであるムタラにおいて、WFPはすでに300トンの緊急支援食料を約2000人の人々に提供してきた。しかし、さらなる支援が必要なことが明白な状況にある。

○ 住居や学校の損壊
12月初旬以降、洪水によりモザンビーク国内では4600の住居、100の学校そして４つの保健施設が破壊され、46500人が避難を余儀なくされ、29人の死者が出た。主な幹線道路は冠水し、ズンブやムタララといった地方の中心都市も孤立状態に陥っている。
加えて、ザンビアでの激しい降雨により、モザンビークのカホラ・バッサダムでは貯水量が許容レベルを超えており、脅威となっている。

○ WFPの今後の対応
　　　モザンビークでは当分周辺国からの水の流入が続くと考えられる。よって最終的な損害の見通しは現時点において困難であるが、1万5千ヘクタールもの農地が被害を受け、その結果28万5千人の人々が食糧援助を今後数ヶ月必要とすると予想される。
　　　WFPは、緊急に国際社会に対しモザンビーク政府への支援を呼びかける予定である。国際社会の全面的な協力が期待される。


FLOODS WREAK HAVOC IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, THOUSANDS NEED HELP

JOHANNESBURG – Floods across southern Africa are wreaking havoc for tens of thousands of people caught by rising water that has washed away crops, homes and claimed the lives of dozens of people, the United Nations World Food Programme said today.

The worst flooding is in the central region of Mozambique. Persistent heavy rains in central and northern Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe over the last three weeks have flooded the Zambezi, Chire and Rivubue rivers in Tete, Manica, Sofala and Zambezia provinces. The Lower Zambezi River in Mozambique, which is 800 kilometres long, has been above alert levels for nearly a week.

“WFP is responding to the localised flooding across southern Africa but we are particularly concerned about the worsening situation in Mozambique which has yet to hit peak levels and is still being fed by rains in neighbouring countries,” said Amir Abdulla, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa.

“We have been using pre-positioned stocks to respond to the floods across the region but the severity of flooding in Mozambique will require urgent additional funding,” he added.

The Government of Mozambique has deployed the military to help evacuate people from the worst-affected areas and WFP has already begun distributing 300 metric tons of pre-positioned emergency food rations to 2,000 people gathered in centres in Mutara, one of the worst-affected areas.

Since early December, floods in Mozambique have destroyed more than 4,600 homes, 100 schools and four health centres and displaced 46,500 people, killing 29. Several primary and dozens of secondary roads are underwater, isolating many communities including the district capitals of Zumbu and Mutarara in Tete province.

In addition, heavy rains in Zambia during the whole of January filled the Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique’s Tete Province above capacity levels. Influx to the dam has been a consistent 10,000 cubic metres per second for the last week, while discharge has been steadily increasing and is expected to hit 8,400 cubic metres per second later today.

The outflow is likely to worsen flooding in the Zambezi River basin to levels not seen since the catastrophic floods in Mozambique of 2000 and 2001.

WFP plans to launch an appeal to the international community early next week to support the Mozambique government’s efforts to contain the crisis. The appeal is expected to include food aid, air operations to participate in the rescue and delivery of relief supplies, and telecommunications to facilitate the government’s coordination of the humanitarian response.

It is estimated that some 285,000 people in Mozambique may need food assistance for the next few months as many have had to flee the rising flood waters, leaving behind their meagre possessions and food stocks.

While it is too early to predict the impact on agricultural production across the region, crops are currently in their peak growing and development period ahead of the April/May harvest. Early estimates are that 15,000 hectares of crops have been lost in Mozambique.

So far this year, flooding has also affected Angola, Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. WFP has rolled out responses across the region, but the full effect of flooding in Mozambique is likely to be delayed due to it being the main repository for water from several countries. WFP already faces a critical shortfall in funding for all its operations in southern Africa, requiring US$105 million through to the end of this year.

“Our response in the region is hampered by a critical funding shortage and the need is now most acute in Mozambique,” Abdulla said. “With the situation likely to worsen in the coming days, we are going to need the full support of the international community.”

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