The Minister of Foreign Affairs calls for climate disaster prevention in the same tone as crisis management; the worsening flood situation in the capital and Maputo province has already caused nine deaths and affected more than 40,000 people.

Maputo is experiencing deadly floods that since Sunday have devastated large swathes of the area and displaced tens of thousands of people. The authorities expect another two weeks of heavy rainfall in the country's main city and its surroundings.

On a visit to the United Nations in New York, Mozambique's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo, told UN News that the debate on climate issues should be greater in the Security Council. In March, Mozambique will assume the rotating presidency of the body.

"Climate change is creating increasingly serious problems for us. People are insecure. Then there are concrete problems like the ones we have in Maputo. When we look at the population, we're looking at people who for years have made great efforts to improve their quality of life. Today they have nothing and are dependent. It's a very sensitive and delicate situation."

For the head of Mozambican diplomacy, the current reality in Maputo is an argument for making climate change more prominent in the global debate on peace and security.

"We're talking about the people who are affected: around 40,000. We're talking about the nine deaths that have unfortunately occurred, but we're also talking about the destruction of infrastructure. This is a sensitive issue and it has to be seen by the Security Council as such, in other words, we have to move on, as the Security Council, from managing problems that happen in the field of security to starting to prevent them."

Mozambique's minister says she believes that support for infrastructure in countries affected by climate change is crucial for mitigation and prevention. And she reiterated the need for solidarity.

"The world needs to show solidarity with the Mozambicans. After all, this is not a situation caused by Mozambique. We know that the biggest polluters are not Africans, let alone Mozambicans. This phenomenon has to be addressed by the international community. We have to get help. Help has to start from within. Fortunately, we have a very supportive people: everyone looks after themselves and their fellow citizens. The world has to look at this phenomenon and show solidarity with Mozambique. That's why we've even brought the figures. More than that, as a country we have to start having resources for mitigation issues. To have infrastructures capable of effectively holding back the waters."

The Mozambican capital is among 13 cities in the world that will face serious impacts from rising sea levels and an increase in global temperatures.