Rescue workers in Mozambique
The United Nations has appealed for more helicopters to be sent to Mozambique, where thousands of people are still stranded on rooftops and areas of high ground after weeks of flooding in the region. It is estimated that over 300,000 people will eventually need emergency aid. The World Health Organisation has also warned of a rise in infectious disease in the refugee camps.
Donor governments have pledged £11 million to UN humanitarian agencies helping people in flood-swept Mozambique. The announcement was made after an emergency meeting of UN agencies in Geneva. The government of Mozambique has said it needs £50 million to help it begin to cope with and recover from the disaster. Aid agencies say the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed them.
Reports from the region say rising floodwaters are expected to hit central and southern parts of the country in the coming days. The fresh floods could hamper rescue teams who are still trying to reach an estimated 100,000 people still stranded in remote areas.
