Helicopters dropped emergency food aid on Thursday for victims of Mozambique's floods as officials warned that close to 300,000 people could be affected if the crisis drags into next month, according to Reuters. Heavy rains in central parts of the southern African nation have driven more than 86,000 people from their homes to higher ground, with most now living as refugees in makeshift centres throughout the Zambezi Valley. Mozambique officials said another 200,000 could be displaced by next month if waters continue to rise through the height of the annual rainy season. "We expect some 285,000 people to be affected. The water levels are rising while the number of people -- both the affected and those in accommodation centres -- is increasing," said Paulo Zucula, director of National Disaster Management, the country's relief agency. He described the situation as a humanitarian disaster but said relief efforts were under control. Officials nevertheless fear conditions could worsen in the next two weeks as heavy rains have already fallen upstream on the Zambezi river in Zambia, and the rainy season not expected to peak until March. About 40 people have already been reported dead in Mozambique's flooding, which is the worst since a major flood disaster hit the country in 2000-2001, killing 700 people and displacing half a million more.
