B-FAST sends basic necessities to Mozambique
Strongly affected by heavy rains and floods, Mozambique has asked for help and Belgium, through B-FAST, is responding to the call, providing basic necessities to support the population.
Following the heavy rains that have affected Mozambique in recent weeks, several regions of the country have been severely affected by flooding. These are the most severe floods in recent decades in the region. Unfortunately, significant rainfall during this rain and cyclone season is still to be expected in the coming weeks.
As a result, over 700,000 people are so far affected and 370,000 people are displaced due to the impact of the floods on their homes. More than 50 medical centres and more than 300 schools have already been affected. These floods also have a considerable impact on road and electricity infrastructure, as well as on food security and access to drinking water. The Mozambican authorities have opened 80 shelters to accommodate the victims, but many resources are still needed to be able to provide the population with adequate basic assistance.
In this context, the Mozambican authorities have asked Belgium for help in order to benefit from support in this emergency phase. In response, Belgium has mobilised itself through B-FAST in order to provide basic necessities to the affected populations. These include jerry cans for the storage and transport of drinking water, camp beds, blankets and hygiene kits. In total, around 10 tonnes of equipment, equivalent to a volume of 60m³, will be sent by B-FAST to Mozambique, thanks to the Relief EU mechanism of the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). Distribution in the field will be done through the United Nations system.
Thanks to this international solidarity, Belgium hopes to contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Mozambican population and supporting their resilience efforts. This donation is another example of Belgian solidarity and confirms B-FAST's active commitment to international relief efforts.
B-FAST (Belgian First Aid Support Team) is the structure of the federal government that is activated when providing emergency aid abroad and consists of the FPS Home Affairs, the FPS Policy and Support (BOSA), the FPS Public Health, the Ministry of Defence and the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, in which the Prime Minister's Office is also involved.