Mozambique Resorts Devastated by Deadly Cyclone
Pastor Dale Morgan
Mozambique Resorts Devastated by Deadly Cyclone*
By JEROME DELAY
The Associated Press
Sunday, February 25, 2007; 12:18 AM
VILANCULOS, Mozambique -- A huge clean-up operation was under way
Saturday in some of Mozambique's most popular resorts as the southern
African nation's fledgling tourist industry struggled to recover from a
devastating cyclone that left tens of thousands homeless.
Casualties from Cyclone Favio appeared to be limited thanks to a warning
system and evacuations by authorities, with initial reports of 10 dead.
Vilanculos, which used to be an idyllic resort boasting some of
Mozambique's most exclusive tourist lodges, was left in ruins, with
mighty palms uprooted and the main road cut in half by a three-foot deep
pothole. There was no electricity and no running water.
The central market, made of steel and tin, totally collapsed as did most
other flimsy structures in an area where most homes are built of bamboo
and straw.
Favio came ashore at Vilanculos on Thursday with sustained winds of 125
mph and heavy rain. It moved across central Mozambique, bringing more
flooding and misery to an area that has been deluged since January.
Rene Christensen, a Danish national and longtime resident of the town,
said all that remained of his home was the frame.
"The bad thing is that nobody is informed and nobody knows what is going
on. Everything is broken down. We don't know if and when we are going to
get help," Christensen said. "It is as if we have been erased from the map."
Traumatized residents had begun cleaning up. Despite the destruction,
some vendors were back on the street selling vegetables and fruit.
The nearby town of Inhambane and the resort of Tofo Beach were also
badly hit. The area has stunning beaches and is popular with divers,
snorkelers and big game fishermen because of the array of sea life,
including giant mantas and enormous whale sharks.
There was no sign of any tourists in Vilanculos and locals said that
they had all moved to safer ground.
The government has encouraged the development of the tourist industry as
part of the economic revival in the impoverished country still suffering
from the legacy of colonial rule and civil war.
Authorities said they were still assessing the full scale of the damage
and the likely cost of reconstruction. The European Union, UNICEF and
CARE were among the agencies sending in relief supplies.
Neighboring South Africa sent two government ministers into the disaster
area and said it was ready to provide assistance, including helicopters
to transport food to temporary accommodation centers.
Fernanda Texeira, the head of the International Federation of the Red
Cross in Mozambique, said Friday that the number of homeless living in
tented camps had jumped almost overnight from 88,600 to 121,000 and that
more could still arrive.
Favio was expected to worsen the flooding from the Zambezi river, which
has been swollen by heavy rains in Malawi and Zimbabwe. About 30 people
were killed in Mozambique and nearly 90,000 forced from their homes by
the earlier floods.
Some 800 Mozambicans died in floods caused by two cyclones in 2000 and
2001. Since then, the government has overhauled its disaster management
system which successfully limited casualties this time around.