The Nampula provincial government in Mozambique will need at least $8-million to reconstruct infrastructure in five districts destroyed by Cyclone Jokwe.
Francisco Mucanheira, the Nampula provincial permanent secretary, told Radio Mozambique in a report broadcast on Saturday that the money will be need to reconstruct infrastructure destroyed in Mossuril, Ilha de Mozambique, Mogincual, Angoche and Moma districts.
He was speaking to the station on the margins of a government and donors’ meeting to evaluate damage caused by the cyclone that hit Nampula two weeks ago.
The storm killed 10 people in the province and injured several hundred as electric pylons, houses, mosques and trees were felled by winds travelling at speeds of 100km/h.
About $7,5-million will be used to reconstruct government buildings, roads and 40 000 houses destroyed by the strong winds, said Mucanheira.
The appeal comes at a time when the government has not fully rebuilt the resort town of Vilankulo, 800km north of Maputo, which was destroyed by Cyclone Favio in February last year — despite receiving $1-million to reconstruct the town. Favio killed 30 people and displaced thousands.
Government infrastructure that has not been rebuilt includes Vilankulo’s referral hospitals, schools and several government offices.
Last week, the Mozambican government made an urgent appeal for relief food from the World Food Programme (WFP) to feed more than 60 000 people displaced by Cyclone Jokwe in Nampula and Zambezia provinces. — Sapa