Africa-Press – Mozambique. The President of the Republic, Daniel Francisco Chapo, on Thursday directed the establishment of an Emergency Operations Room (ERC) at the Presidency of the Republic, with the aim of ensuring continuous monitoring of the calamity the country is facing as a result of heavy rains, flooding and inundations affecting the southern and central regions.
The Operations Room, set up days after the Council of Ministers declared a State of Emergency, has the primary mission of centralising interinstitutional coordination, monitoring the situation on the ground and guaranteeing a swift, effective and integrated response to the needs of the affected populations.
As part of this monitoring, a worrying rise in prices of basic necessities has been identified in Gaza province, particularly in the cities of Xai-Xai and Chibuto, especially in the higher areas where displaced populations are located, as well as in zones hosting resettled people.
In light of this scenario, the Head of State instructed the Operations Room to establish direct dialogue with other government departments, with a view to defining mechanisms that allow suppliers and distributors of essential goods—such as rice, beans, flour, cooking oil and other basic basket products—to increase supply in these local markets.
Increasing supply is considered the most effective way to stabilise prices, ensuring that the population has access to essential goods.
Economic operators have products in the central region of the country, where they maintain warehouses and logistics systems in various provinces. Thus, the mobilisation of existing reserves in Manica, Sofala and Tete—geographically closer provinces—was recommended to supply Gaza province, with particular focus on Xai-Xai, Chibuto and Chókwè.
This measure aims to normalise supply and contribute to stabilising prices of basic necessities.
Maritime route
On the occasion, a proposal was also presented to use the maritime route to transport food from the Port of Maputo to Gaza province, making use of infrastructure recently set up in the context of heavy sand exploitation in that region.
This solution will allow naval transport means to move food products to the Port of Chongoene, from where they will be forwarded to the regional warehouse being established at this strategic point.
The initiative aims to strengthen humanitarian response capacity, balancing and complementing supply from the central zone, thereby ensuring more effective food assistance to affected populations.
