Cycle Kenneth, Mozambique: Government authorities admit that the flooding from cyclone Kenneth was “critical” in some parts of the country with a large number of buildings and homes destroyed. It was difficult to travel by road or by air because of the heavy rains that disrupted the communication network. Officials are exploring alternate options like helicopters, boats, and even canoes to extend humanitarian aid, especially drinking water, to the affected people. The authorities want to contain the threat of contagious diseases like cholera. Checking the spread of malaria is another area of concern.

The Guardian reports that Pemba, the provincial capital of Mozambique, has been witnessing heavy rains accompanied by mudslides, which is aggravating the situation. Once the rains eased, the residents began to search for bodies trapped in the debris. The death toll from Cyclone Kenneth, the next tropical storm after Cyclone Idai to strike in a short span of a few weeks, has left people helpless. There are predictions of more torrential rain in the coming days, which could paralyze life.

Right now, people are trying to come to terms with reality. This could be the result of Climate change.

Rains continue to hamper relief measures

According to Mercury News, continuous rains have led to the grounding of flights in Mozambique assigned for relief work.

During a brief lull, it was possible to dispatch one helicopter loaded with aid materials to the island of Ibo. This location faced large-scale destruction with hundreds of homes that were flattened by Cyclone Kenneth, the second cyclone to hit the country within weeks. The United Nations had organized it, and the inclement weather was not conducive to operate another flight.

Normal communication was difficult because of the condition of roads. It was difficult to navigate due to the torrential rains. As an official of the United Nations’ humanitarian arm, OCHA said, “Unfortunately the weather conditions are changing too fast and threatening the operation.”

Infrastructure woes during natural disasters

Cyclone Kenneth struck with wind speeds of up to 280 kph (172 mph) and the infrastructure took a severe beating. It was already reeling from Cyclone Idai that had struck in March and was strained to the limit. Mercury News says the obvious casualties were the power grids and communication systems damaged by uprooted trees. Authorities in. Mozambique have indicated that the storm has affected over 168,000 people.

There was waist-deep water in some neighborhoods and many of them moved out to safer places.

People are still trying to come out of the horrors of Cyclone Idai that destroyed the port city of Beira, damaged 700,000 hectares of crops and killed more than 1,000 people from across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. As a precautionary measure, people living near rivers are asked to move to higher ground. The United Nations agreed to release emergency funds for Mozambique and the Comoros to provide food and water, apart from repairing infrastructure.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED