AECID purifies 750,000 liters of water in almost a month after floods in Mozambique

The Diplomat The AquaSTART team from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has purified 750,000 liters of water in 27 days for 375,000 people affected by floods in the Gaza province of Mozambique. AECID has concluded the mission of the AquaSTART water purification module in Mozambique, which was deployed in early February in response to the severe flooding that affected the south of the country. In a 27-day operation in the town of Hokwe, Chókwè district (Gaza province), the START team purified 750,000 liters of water, benefiting 375,000 people in an emergency context marked by the collapse of basic infrastructure and mass displacement of the local population, as reported this Friday by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in a press release. The intense rains that began in late December and the subsequent arrival of Cyclone Gezani have affected more than 724,000 people in Mozambique. In Gaza province, one of the hardest hit, thousands of families have suffered damage to their homes and surrounding areas. In Hokwe, a town with a normal population of 14,500, 12,500 people displaced from neighboring communities sought refuge. The main water reservoir had been rendered unusable by flooding, and the alternative system had high salinity levels, making the water suitable for domestic use but not for human consumption. In response to this situation, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) activated the deployment of the AquaSTART module, part of the START (Spanish Technical Aid Response Team) and registered with the European Civil Protection Pool. The AquaSTART water purification module is designed for the treatment, filtration, and chlorination of water unfit for human consumption in humanitarian emergencies. Deployed in Hokwe since February 3, it ensured a stable supply of drinking water to the affected population, working in coordination with UNICEF and the regional public water company. According to AECID, the mission involved 18 people (15 men and 3 women), mostly from the Community of Madrid (16), as well as one professional from Andalusia and one from the Autonomous City of Ceuta. The team consisted of AECID staff, responsible for institutional coordination; TRAGSA technical staff; volunteers from the National Health System; SUMMA 112 logistics personnel; Madrid City Council Firefighters and ERICAM (Madrid Community Firefighters); and staff from the NGO CESAL, responsible for the kitchen and logistical support. The operation was carried out in two rotations: the first from February 1st to 15th and the second from February 13th to 27th. From the first days of deployment, a strategy for the progressive transfer of capabilities was implemented. To this end, technical staff from the public entity Aguas de Mozambique received on-site training in the operation and maintenance of the system. The official donation ceremony for the water treatment plant was held on February 23rd. The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has donated three water purification lines with a capacity of up to 80,000 liters per day to Aguas de Mozambique, destined for the Gaza Province, Chókwè District, Chilembene Administrative Post, Hokwe. This donation will allow the system to remain operational after the departure of the START team and be available for future emergencies, strengthening the resilience of the local water supply system. In addition to the deployment of the AquaSTART module, AECID had already sent more than 20 tons of humanitarian aid (tool and hygiene kits, family tents, tarpaulins, and jerrycans), valued at €106,000, to reach more than 56,000 people. The Spanish Cooperation strategy in this operation has linked the international humanitarian response with the strengthening of local capacities, opting for an approach that combines immediate assistance with medium-term sustainability.

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