Mozambique Floods Leave 700,000 Affected (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Now, an intense mop-up operation is underway in Mozambique following weeks of severe flooding that have affected nearly 700,000 people in the central and southern regions of the country. The flooding was brought on by weeks of torrential rain and forced schools of people into temporary shelters and destroyed critical infrastructure. More than 100 people have died, while many others are still missing. From Johannesburg, BBC Africa senior correspondent Nomsa Maseko set this report.

[00:00:30] Speaker 2: Mozambique is facing its worst flooding in decades. Government resources are limited, and emergency shelters are running out of food.

[00:00:42] Speaker 3: To those affected, we know that this moment, people have not only lost everything, but are also emotionally weakened and in need of our care, our comfort, and our solidarity.

[00:00:58] Speaker 2: Entire villages were cut off after roads, bridges, and health care facilities collapsed following heavy downpours, which destroyed more than 80,000 homes. A humanitarian crisis is unfolding.

[00:01:17] Speaker 4: This year, floods took many things from the fields, including our belongings in our homes. This year, we're going to go hungry all year. We don't have cassava. We don't have corn.

[00:01:32] Speaker 2: Catastrophic floods forced thousands to flee their homes, with many residents trapped on rooftops amid rising waters.

[00:01:42] Speaker 5: The water was frightening us, and we started to leave the house. Yesterday, around midnight, we abandoned the house and were not able to recover anything. All our clothes, all our food were taken by the water. The only thing I managed was to get the children out.

[00:02:02] Speaker 2: The threat of waterborne diseases has also increased, as the displaced population faces a lack of safe drinking water and sanitation. Water levels remain high. In neighboring South Africa, the government has urged residents to evacuate their homes near the Santiko Dam, which could collapse at any moment. In the meantime, rescue teams are still searching for a number of people who are still missing. Nomsamasego, BBC News.