Reconstruction after Cyclone Idai, which devastated the central region of Mozambique in mid-March 2019, has cost at least 704 million dollars, which corresponds to an execution of 56% of compliance with the respective Program of the Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Office (PREPOC)..

The information was revealed yesterday, Tuesday, by the spokesman for the Council of Ministers, Filimão Suaze, after the 26th ordinary session of that body.

At the time, Filimão Suaze, quoted by AIM, said that there was still a balance of 526.77 million dollars in the coffers, to be spent by 2026.

Nevertheless, according to Suaze, the government has mobilized additional funds equivalent to 71 million dollars for this program, of which 16 million come from the African Development Bank (AfDB), 25 million from the Tzu Chi Foundation, and 30 million from the World Bank.

"All the money mobilized is being used for the rehabilitation of social and other infrastructures, according to the plan approved with the cooperation partners," he said.

According to official figures, the Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Office has already completed the construction of at least 5,750 new homes, which have been handed over to the beneficiaries. In addition, some 3,269 classrooms have been built and rehabilitated under the same program, out of a total of 4,745 destroyed.

Cyclone Idai, which devastated central Mozambique, mainly Sofala province, caused 603 deaths and affected an estimated 2.5 million people.

(Photo DR)