The number of people affected by the floods in Mozambique continues to rise more than a week after the Zambezi River burst its banks.

The latest figures show a sharp rise from more than 86 000 to more than 120 000 displaced people in less than 48hours. In Chupanga, one of the camps south east of Caia district, the figure rose from just 1500 to 5348 in less three days. Rescue and evacuation operations were still going on over the weekend.

The demand for humanitarian help is high. Relief items need to be delivered now to avert a serious humanitarian crisis.

Thousand of people gathered along the small dusty road near the Zambezi River waiting for their turn to receive emergency help. Thousands more have been sleeping in the open for the past 24 to 48 hours cooking the small amount of food that they managed to carry with them, while other are selling their belongings at a cheap price to feed their children.

On Friday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal for 7,5 million Swiss francs (US$ 5.6 million/€ 4.3 million) to support the Mozambique Red Cross Society's response to the devastating floods. The appeal seeks to provide temporary shelter to 100,000 people in the four affected provinces, as well as distributing 5,000 tents, 15,000 tarpaulins, 40,000 blankets, 20,000 kitchen sets, bars of soap and 40,000 mosquito nets and also finance the provision of safe water to affected people and the construction of 500 latrines.

Pascao Arumando is one of those who were evacuated this Saturday, helped by Mozambique Red Cross volunteers. "I don't want to go back there again," she says.

Pascao, a mother of three, could do nothing when her household items and her field were swept away by the waters. She did not know what to do until the army boat came to her rescue.

"Some people decided to stay in our village, but I don't know why they are refusing to come with us," she added as she picks her small bag filled with maize cobs and dry fish. This is all what she has to start a new life in the camp.

Pascao has now joined thousands of people without shelter, food and other basic requirements, arriving in Chupanga.

The situation is the same in most of the camps in the four affected provinces. There are currently two types of camps. The accommodation centres, which are commonly known as the temporary shelter system where people are given tents or plastic sheeting, and the resettlement camps, where people are integrated within existing communities in higher areas where they might resettle. The idea is to settle people nearer to basic facilities such as water points, schools, clinics, but the current situation has imposed a lot of pressure on some of these facilities.

Mr. January Antonio has been staying in the Gangala resettlement camp just one kilometer west of Caia for almost a week. He had managed to take with him about 10 kilograms of maize for his family, hoping he would be going back in one or two days. "We have been here for almost a week now and we no longer have food to feed ourselves and our children," he says after telling how he and his family managed to escape the floods.

"I have sold my small blanket to raise money for food and my wife has gone to look for some fruits in the bush to feed the family," he explains.

In the three camps of Amilcar Cabral, DAF and Nhambulo 2 in Caia district, diseases are beginning to emerge due to overpopulation and lack of hygiene facilities. So far 173 cases of diarrhea, 312 cases of malaria, 253 cases of people with eye problems and 5 cases of dysentery have been reported. The situation could be worse in other remote areas, especially those that are not accessible.

Apart from the 187 000 Swiss francs released by the International Federation from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Mozambique Red Cross emergency operation, the Mozambique Red Cross has managed to raise US$ 250 000 from local companies. "We have launched a solidarity campaign to also raise money internally to urgently address the needs of the affected people," says Fernanda Teixeira, the Mozambique Red Cross secretary general.