Tropical storm victims return home to Mozambique

Malawi has started repatriating Mozambican refugees who were forced from their homes by Tropical Storm Ana earlier this year.

More than 8,000 people crossed into Malawi from Mozambique after being displaced by the storm which hit some parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Malawi in January.

At least 70 people were killed by the cyclone and thousands of houses were damaged with bridges collapsing over swollen rivers, sweeping away livestock, cars and their occupants and also flattening fields of crops.

Chipiliro Khamula, spokesperson for Malawi Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), said approximately 8,000 people are expected to be repatriated “over the next few days”.

Some of the refugees are being repatriated by boat while the government of Mozambique has sent three buses to be used in the exercise.

The repatriations were expected to continue over the weekend, Mr Khamula said.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: DoDMA