CAIA, MOZAMBIQUE – Torrents of water. Torrents of rain. Falling; slowly at first, then swiftly – covering, washing, filling space and land and home. In 2007 a devastating flood hit Mozambique, categorized as a humanitarian disaster, affecting over 285,000 people. Water rose to unprecedented levels, drowning crops, destroying possessions and forcing people to seek shelter on dry land away from their homes.

When the Zambezi River broke its banks, the land was saturated. Over 165,000 became displaced. As thousands lost access to food and water, the threat of disease outbreaks grew threateningly high.
Men, women and children waited in displacement camps, huddled in homes made of grass, blue plastic sheeting draped over the sticks that held it all together. Lines formed to receive distributions, while water levels continued to rise.

FH’s relief unit responded. FH came to the area of Caia and began distributing food supplies, tents, mosquito nets and water cans to displaced families who were temporarily sheltered in displaced camps. In collaboration with other relief organizations FH also provided clean water and health screenings to children and their families, focusing specifically on malnutrition.

Just days before people had been forced to survive on food they could salvage from the wreckage or from the trees.

Though harvests have been destroyed, FH’s ongoing work in Mozambique with agriculture, education and health will help lessen this impact.

The struggle is still real and the waiting is still present, but the impact of disaster, we believe, is lessened. And we are committed to staying.