Floods in Mozambique: A Growing Crisis

Mozambique is facing a serious situation right now. Heavy rains have been causing major floods for the past two weeks. So far, 13 people have died, but this number is likely to go up. As the water starts to go down, more bodies might be found. The floods have been really bad. Rivers and dams have overflowed, and more than half a million people have been affected. Even parts of neighboring South Africa have seen flooding. In the capital, Maputo, some buildings are completely underwater, and a main highway is blocked, cutting off parts of the city.Justino Zita, a shopkeeper in Maputo, is struggling. His shop is flooded, and he's determined not to give up, but he knows it won't be easy. Mary Louise Eagleton, who works with UNICEF in Mozambique, expects the number of deaths and injuries to rise, especially among children. Officials say this is the worst flooding since 2000, when around 700 people died. This time, early warning systems and evacuations might have saved lives. Paulo Tomas, a spokesperson for the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management, says many people left the most affected areas. But he also points out that the current death toll might be lower because some areas are still hard to reach or underwater.