Climate change in Africa News

[New Era] Cabinet this week announced it has approved a comprehensive drought relief intervention worth N$572.7 million to assist drought-affected communities in communal areas, who are grappling with the prevailing drought.

[New Zimbabwe] The death toll from the devastating Cyclone Idai, that barrelled through Zimbabwe's south eastern districts last week has gone up to 142, according to officials.

[New Zimbabwe] The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), which manages the Kariba Dam on behalf of Zimbabwe and its northern neighbour Zambia, has warned of a serious electricity crisis as water levels in the man-made lake have gone down to 39 percent.

[Malawi News Agency] Thyolo -President Prof.Peter Mutharika Wednesday commended people of Thyolo for providing accommodation to families affected by the recent flooding and persistent rainstorm.

[Malawi News Agency] African Union (AU) has announced that it is going to contribute US$350, 000 towards disaster efforts in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

[Malawi News Agency] Chikwawa -President Arthur Peter Mutharika has warned of tough action against those who will be found involved in stealing relief items meant for disaster victims.

[Tunis Afrique Presse] Enfidha/Tunisia -Civil Protection units had recovered on Friday morning the body of a three-year-old girl that had been swept by water of Wadi Massoud between the El Frada locality and the Enfidha city (Sousse governorate), Regional Director of Civil Protection in Sousse Jalloul Jaballah told TAP.

[Verdade] While national and international emergency team fly and swim against time to rescue about 350,000 Mozambicans still under siege for the fifth consecutive day in the districts of Buzi, Chibabava, Nhamatanda and Dondo, in Beira corpses accumulate in the mortuary because funerals are impossible.

[Verdade] A week after Tropical Cyclone IDAI "massacred" the center of Mozambique, there are still people under siege in the trees and on the roofs of houses in the provinces of Sofala and Manica.

[Monitor] Kampala -Light showers in mid-February enticed Mr George Lubale, a peasant farmer in Nawasango, Namutumba District, to plant ground nuts on his four-acre piece of land.

[Mozambique News Reports And Clippings] Cyclone Idai cannot be blamed on climate change, but the scale of the disaster probably can be. Climate change is predicted to intensify climatic events, making extreme events worse - both droughts and heavy rain and floods will be more severe. In particular, global warming will not increase the number of cyclones, but will make them more intense. In the Mozambique Channel, this is because the sea water is getting warmer which gives the storms more energy.

[Malawi News Agency] Phalombe -Malawi Red Cross Society has emphasized on the need for the country to invest more in building the capacity of local communities to be able to stand against effects of disasters when they occur.

[Observer] Ocean acidification, often referred to as "the other CO2 problem," is a major threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, and is the focus of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.3.

[New Zimbabwe] PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared two days of national mourning, following the death and destruction caused by Cyclone Idai in the south eastern districts of Manicaland, parts of Masvingo and Mashonaland East.

[UN News] Over 900,000 people in Malawi, and 600,000 in Mozambique have already been affected by exceptionally severe flooding caused by heavy rains associated with the Tropical Cyclone Idai.

[RFI] Some 15,000 people are in need of rescue in Mozambique after Cyclone Idai slammed into southeast Africa last week. Hundreds of thousands more have been affected in Zimbabwe and Malawi, with the death toll across the three countries rising above 350.

[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -A drop in temperatures was recorded Thursday in Kasserine governorate and amounts of snow fell on the heights of the region including Feriana, Thala, Laayoun and Foussena.

[The Herald] IT is going to be more than a football match today when two countries -- Mozambique and Zimbabwe -- ravaged by the deadly Cyclone Idai take to the pitch looking for something to cheer their spirits.

[The Herald] The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has dismissed messages circulating on social media that there is a regeneration of Cyclone Idai.

[The Herald] The country yesterday received a consignment of goods from Tanzania to assist the victims of Cyclone Idai while more corporates and individuals continue to donate to the affected communities.