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As we make two steps forward we find ourselves taking one back. Or two back. This morning the news is that waters may again rise to dangerous levels in the Limpopo River. Our Gaza team learned of this last night at the evening coordination meeting held in Macia. It's believed that a week of heavy rains in South Africa will once again force that nation to open one of its dams. The team reports that no message was broadcast this morning on the radio warning residents to evacuate. We are taking steps to evacuate LWF workers in the area should the need arise.
It's been raining here on the coast, in fact the main road from Maputo to Macia has again washed away, cutting off the entire Gaza area. Temporary repairs (bulldozed dirt with culvert) made to two earlier flood damaged areas continue to erode each time it rains. Our Gaza team, including Luis Anderson and Georgia, drove up there yesterday just before the road was cut. Georgia was carrying blankets, plastic, and medical supplies for further distribution.
Yesterday's INGC organizational meeting said over the weekend nearly 800 tons of food was distributed to affected areas. They were proud to announce that half of this had been transported by road. This road breach will seriously alter distribution in the Gaza area with helicopters being the only way to reach probably 200,000 people.
Monday the water/sanitation order arrived in Maputo and the portable water treatment system is already on the way to Moamba. It is expected to be in operation by tomorrow. Potable water will then be trucked into the town via a water bladder and delivered to standpoints for distribution. Engineer David Banks has been slowed a bit by a hand wound that has become infected but Knut Eker will hopefully be able to complete the physical plumbing with the help of local water technicians. A drilling unit is now in Congolote digging more boreholes. Displaced Maputo residents, of which LWF is sponsoring 500 families, are waiting for services to be developed so they can move there.
Meanwhile, the LWF team in Sofala is desperately trying to figure out how they're going to get a Land Cruiser out of the sand it's stuck in. Things are made a bit more urgent because it happens to be in the Buzi River which happens to be rising at this point.
March 21, 2000
You can support UMCOR's response to this disaster through donations to the Churchwide Appeal for Flood Recovery in Mozambique and Neighboring Countries, Advance #156500. Checks may be dropped in United Methodist church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Credit-card donations can be made by calling 1-800-554-8583.
UMCOR has sent money and relief supplies, including high-capacity water purification units. It has also sent health kits, emergency food rations, mosquito netting units and oral rehydration salts. Millions of dollars will be needed to provide relief supplies and assist the people of Mozambique as they recover over the next several years. Read more about how you can help.
Elaine Eliah is a press officer currently working for ACT-.LWF in Mozambique
Source: Action by Churches Together, http://www.act-intl.org.