Once most of the destitute have been plucked to safety, they have to be housed and fed. It will take a massive airlift to bring hundreds of tons of food and water purification equipment, and tents and blankets, to the camps being set up. Then there is the urgent need to rebuild Mozambique's infrastructure, particularly its roads, to ease the delivery of aid over the coming months and limit long-term damage to the economy. The WFP has delivered tons of maize to some areas, and aid workers say many survivors are in better condition than might be expected. But there are fears that without access to clean water soon, diseases such as cholera and dysentery could take hold.
Emergency workers say there is confusion about the time and place of the arrival of aid.
Some point out that the floods began three weeks ago, which gave the UN time to organise a more substantial relief effort. They note that the two most senior UN officials in Mozambique have both been abroad since the crisis struck. Many Mozambicans have wondered about the role of their own government, particularly President Joaquim Chissano, who has had little to do or say during the crisis. He finally flew to Gaza yesterday.