Serious flooding has wreaked havoc in parts of Mozambique, as houses collapsed in many areas. Rescue efforts are underway to help people trapped by rising floodwaters in the country's northern region.
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Heavy rain and flooding in northern Mozambique hampered rescue efforts on Monday, as the death toll from Cyclone Kenneth rose to 38.
The storm has damaged thousands of homes since making landfall in the southeast African country five days ago.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said many houses have collapsed as a result of rising floodwaters in the northern region's main city, Pemba.
Mozambique's government urged people in flood-hit areas to seek higher ground immediately to minimize the risk of drowning. An estimated 160,000 people were at risk from the cyclone, which is the second to hit the country in six months.
According to figures announced by the government on Monday, at least 38 people died as a result of the current storm — up from an earlier estimate of five. Nearly 35,000 homes have been either partly or completely destroyed.
Aid organizations have described "total devastation," raising concerns that residents in inundated communities will be left exposed and hungry as waters rise.
Further heavy rain is forecast over the next several days.
Rescue efforts
"It is now raining heavily in Pemba, Cabo Delgado, and some parts of the city are already flooded," said Saviano Abreu, spokesman for OCHA.
"We are unfortunately expecting devastating floods here in Pemba. A search-and-rescue team is being mobilized," Abreu added.
Cyclone Kenneth arrived on Thursday, just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered central Mozambique and killed more than 600 people.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said there was no previous record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique in the same season.
Cyclone Idai: Relief camps for flood victims under pressure
Thousands of people displaced by the tropical storm are now living in shelters in central Mozambique. DW visited two centers where there's a severe shortage of tents and an imminent threat of the spread of diseases.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Routine checkup
Two weeks after Idai struck, some 20 doctors and health workers traveled to accomodation centers in Dhugudiua and Namitangurine. The latter houses the biggest populations of displaced flood victims in Zambezia province. The health professionals are carrying out routine checkups in an effort to control the spread of disease.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Poor health
Many of those taking shelter in Dhugudiua suffer from respiratory diseases, malaria or diarrhea. About 30 people receive medical treatment daily in the facility, which was set up in March in the aftermath of the flooding. Health authorities say the majority of those displaced by Cyclone Idai have some kind of health problem.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
One tent for ten people
It's increasingly difficult for people to find a space in a tent at the Namitangurine accommodation site. The camp has been receiving displaced people since 2012, but the floods have put even more pressure on accommodation. Up to ten people can live in one tent, authorities say. More than a thousand families are currently seeking refuge here.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Destroyed homes
About 80 families are sheltering in tents in the Dhugudiua centre, 45 km from Quelimane, the capital of Zambezia province. Most of them are women and children who lost their houses because of Cyclone Idai.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Provisional services
As well as accommodation, the tents also serve as provisional health units as well as points for the distribution of social services.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Outdoor cooking
Dhugudiua centrer has just one one kitchen for everyone to prepare their meals, so many families have taken to cooking outside. The groups of stones dotting the ground mark where people have set up makeshift cooking fires.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Lack of protein
Although people at Dhugudiua shelter are receiving enough food to still their hunger, it's not a balanced diet. They are getting flour, rice and other food from various donors. But protein is scarce - there's no fish and there aren't enough beans to go around.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Running water
Thanks to a mobile water tank with a capacity of 1,000 liters, people have enough water for bathing as well as for washing dishes and clothes.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Sanitation and hygiene
In Nicoadala District, about 20 volunteers work exclusively on monitoring hygiene standards in the accommodation centers. They check the quality of the water consumed by the families, ensure tents are clean and sensitize residents about good hygiene practices. The main objective - to avoid outbreaks of cholera and malaria.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Deep despair
Despite the support received in the accommodation centers, many families are desperate. They still don't know when they will be able to start rebuilding their homes and their lives. Before the cyclone, many of the men worked as carpenters or locksmiths. Now, they are unemployed and have no way of earning a living. The women mourn the loss of their fields.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Waiting for land
People in the accommodation centers are awaiting the distribution of land. Many are keen to be placed in safer areas that are less vulnerable to flooding. Distributing land to the cyclone victims was a promise made by the Zambezia provincial authorities.
Image: DW/M. Mueia
Accepting health services
The doctors here say they are satisfied with how people are responding to health checkups they are offering, particularly voluntary HIV and malaria testing.
