Heavy rains at the beginning of the 2008 rainy season in Mozambique resulted in the flooding of major rivers in the central provinces of the country. According to data from Mozambique’s National Institute of Disasters Management, 102,486 people were displaced in the Zambezi Valley and are hosted in resettlement camps.

Once the Government of Mozambique issued a red alert, IRD had emergency teams in both Chinde and Morrumbala Districts within days. With the support of USAID and UNICEF, IRD had established four operational water treatment stations, which each provide over 10,000 liters of water per treatment cycle. IRD also began disseminating hygiene messages through 160 trained hygiene activists, and had distributed hygiene supplies to 6,570 families by mid-March. IRD is the only NGO in Chinde and Morrumbala districts working on the water, hygiene, and sanitation needs of the survivors.

Now that the emergency has passed, through a USAID-funded program, IRD is ensuring the access and quality of the water for residents in resettlement camps in Chinde and Morrumbala through the construction  of 15 water points, and providing satisfactory hygiene and sanitation conditions to displaced families through construction of 3,000 improved traditional latrines. During the process, IRD is training local organizations in construction techniques so they can continue even once IRD’s formal involvement is complete. In the meantime, the hygiene activists continue to work with residents, encouraging them to use latrines, and creating more demand for them.

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