Mozambique rescue moves up a gear

Mozambican authorities need more help

By Africa correspondent Jane Standley in Beira

South African pilots are preparing to begin their operation to rescue people from heavily flooded areas in Mozambique.

Four helicopters and three airplanes arrived in the central city of Beira on Friday to work with more than 80 South African military staff on the mission.

The United Nations has estimated that as many as 100,000 Mozambicans need to be evacuated from areas in the path of the Zambezi river which has burst its banks, leaving some people already trapped on small islands of land.

And the help which has arrived from South Africa is desperately needed.

Evacuation

Though the floods in the country's centre are not yet as severe as those last year in the south, this time the affected area is far more remote.

The main dams feeding the Zambezi river are full

The infrastructure is very, very poor.

The South African air crews will fly rescue and evacuation missions in their helicopters while their airplanes will deliver relief supplies to the temporary camps where people who have already been moved out are living.

The conditions there are dreadful.

Time

Help is needed before there are serious outbreaks of disease and time is now of the essence.

As many people as possible must be moved out of the path of the Zambezi river.

It is fed by its neighbours, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi and more heavy rain is being forecast there.

Until now only one Mozambican military helicopter and two others funded by the British Government have been moving people but many do not want to leave their homes.

They do not want to leave behind what little food stocks and few animals they have.

And they do not seem to be heeding radio broadcasts warning that more water is on the way.