Mozambican police detained a delegate from the INGD – National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction in Niassa, in northern Mozambique, on suspicion of diverting various products destined for the victims of Cyclone Freddy, it was announced this Saturday.
The delegate, a friend and a driver were arrested red-handed early Friday morning when they were unloading the products at a residence in Lichinga, the provincial capital, Mirza Maguanda, spokesman for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, told the media. PMR) in Niassa.
“We know that the purpose was to sell these products in Malawi, a neighboring country,” the spokeswoman said.
It consists of 6,600 kilos of rice, 4,660 kilos of corn flour, 700 kilos of beans, 912 liters of cooking oil and 49 rolls of plastic used to cover tents for the victims.
The delegate’s arrest occurred after a popular complaint, announced the PRM. Cyclone Freddy hit Mozambique in February and March, killing at least 169 people and affecting more than 200,000 families, according to the latest INGD data.
Freddy is already one of the longest lasting cyclones in decades, having traveled more than 10,000 kilometers since it formed off northern Australia on February 4 and crossed the entire Indian Ocean to southern Africa.
The current rainy season (October to April) has already killed 302 people and affected more than a million in Mozambique.
The country is considered one of the most affected by climate change in the world, with winds coming from the Indian Ocean and flooding coming from the southern African watersheds.
Source: TSF
