Refugee camps dot the Zambezi River flood plain. Small villages along the 62-mile stretch between Caia and Mopei lie covered in the river's strong moving current. Abandoning all their earthly possessions, families fought waist-high waters to reach these temporary shelters in February. Infrastructure damage from last years' flooding has not been repaired, making it impossible for relief to reach victims by any way, but air.

OBI contacts Konrad Meij, Cathy Schonken, and Mark Harper of the Mission Relief Coalition (MRC), recently completed a disaster evaluation by air. Over 5,000 flood refugees were living under tents and tarpaulins in Caia and Chipanga. Volunteers work to feed these displaced people, but the shortage of eating utensils makes the task difficult. Constant concerns within the camps include the lack of potable drinking water, sanitation, and medical treatment for possible malaria, dysentery, and cholera outbreaks.

However, flood levels are rapidly decreasing due to the Cariba and Cohora Bassa dams closing. It's now safe for Mozambicans to get about in dugout canoes and soon some will be returning to where their homes used to stand.

To alleviate some of the hardship in starting over, MRC and OBI are working together with South African churches in putting together Mercy Packs. Each 1 of the 1,200 maize bags will be able to carry 110 pounds of basic supplies including blankets, plates, silverware, cups, soap, candles, and matches as well as fishing line and hooks. A rented aircraft will fly the Mercy Packs to airstrips near the refugee camps. Local churches will distribute to those leaving the refugee camps! The fishing line and hooks will enable families to eat until crops are planted and harvested.

One hundred tons of seed is left from OBI and Feed The Hungry's disaster relief supplies that arrived aboard Le Sea Global's MV Evangeline last November. Farmers will begin planting this seed as soon as water levels become normal.

Mozambique's hardworking citizens will slowly recover from loosing over 50 of their friends and relatives and begin to rebuild over 80,000 lost homes. Please work together with OBI and MRC in continuing to supply shelter for the homeless and food for the hungry of Mozambique!

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 1997- 2010 by Operation Blessing International of this page and all contents. No part of this site may be used without prior written consent from OBI. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Email us at operation.blessing@ob.org.