World Vision reaches out to flood victims

Children of the rains

World Vision reaches out to flood victims

By Claudina Lembe

One-month-old Nelson lies down in his grandmother´s arms sitting on a small mat inside the family tent together with his brother and mother in a new resettlement area recently established by government to assist flood victims in Zambezia province. The family´s home was washed away and now they are part of the beneficiaries of World Vision´s response programme in Zambezia. The organization has been assisting flood victims with family kits items which include jerry cans, mosquito nets, soap, water purifiers and tarpaulins.

As I walk into the tent with Helena, Nelson´s mother points to a few items in the corner that they owned before they received assistance. There is a bag with a few clothes and the bowl in which they put Nelson´s clothes. There is also a heap of damp firewood which the family uses has wood fuel. However, life has changed for Nelson and his family who were staying in an overcrowded camp that had been set up as temporary accommodation for affected families. Nelson´s mother narrates that they stayed in the camp for 20 days. The camp is a school and one classroom is accommodating approximately 50 people.

“He would get cold at night and sharing the space with many other people was not doing him any good,” recalls Helena. She thinks that the child developed a respiratory disease as he struggled to breath and was sweating.

According to World Vision Mozambique Health Expert, Veronique Kollhof, respiratory complications are on the rise among new born living in the camps. To make things worst, adequate medical treatment is not readily available. Health facilities that served the community have either been destroyed or inaccessible as roads have been cut down and some bridges have collapsed.

The director of health from Morrumbala district Tomé Manuel Charles, says the government is in the process of establishing a temporary facility to serve as a clinic. However, he is not sure when the health facility will be established. The fact remains that Nelson and many other people in this camp need urgent medical attention.

Helena´s family is one of the first families to be resettled by government and to receive a family kit from World Vision.

“We have been living in this tent for three days. Nelson sleeps peacefully and we have blankets to protect us from the cold,” Helena says. “The tent provides enough space for four people and there is better lighting and free circulation of air.”

Nelson´s grandmother Awinesse quickly jumps into the conversation and with a happy face she shouts “this is Nelson´s first home.” Jumping and ululating she says “we thank God for this help, we thank World Vision for coming to our rescue,” she adds. 

World Vision has so far assisted 10.000 people affected by floods in Zambezia province, where the organization has established through several assessments that thousands are in need of relief aid.

World Vision is calling on Mozambicans, donors, private sector, faith based organizations and our support offices to help mobilize the resources required for the Zambezia floods response. Amounting to $2 million, short term interventions will prioritise shelter, food aid, water and sanitation, and child protection. Long term interventions not yet financially estimated would include reconstruction of roads, bridges, schools and health facilities.