Zimbabwe intensifies relief operations as floods kill over 80, destroy homes

Relief efforts are underway across Zimbabwe after heavy rains triggered severe flooding, killing at least 83 people and destroying more than 1,300 homes, government and humanitarian agencies said on Thursday.

Torrential rains this month have caused flooding in all ten provinces, with Manicaland near the Mozambique border the hardest hit. Bridges and roads have been washed out, complicating access to affected communities.

In an interview with China Global Television Network, Nathan Nkomo, chief director of the Department of Civil Protection, said, "[For] the artisanal miners, they had their mining holes along the waterways and they were filled. It's like most of them were buried in those. Some [of the toll] is a result of lightning. Lighting has also got a big toll on that figure."

Authorities added that several others drowned while attempting to cross flooded rivers.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, in coordination with the Department of Civil Protection, is leading emergency response efforts. Relief teams are delivering tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits and medical supplies to displaced families.

Mathias Begede, programs director of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, said, "We have placed our response teams on high alert and are also repositioning emergency supplies such as tents, tarpaulins, blankets and hygiene kits and also first aid materials across the country."

Local community networks are being mobilized to disseminate weather forecasts and warn residents against crossing swollen rivers.

Although water levels have begun to recede in some of the hardest-hit areas, authorities remain on high alert as the meteorological services department forecasts further rainfall in the coming days. Relief teams continue to monitor dam water levels and rainfall patterns to issue early warnings and evacuation advisories.

Zimbabwe intensifies relief operations as floods kill over 80, destroy homes

Soaring oil prices triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East have heightened U.S. inflation pressures, with analysts warning that households face hundreds of dollars in extra costs if crude climbs further.

Data released on Tuesday by the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed that the national average price of regular gasoline in the United States has risen 18.64 percent compared with Feb. 26. The AAA data also indicated that the national average price of diesel on Tuesday was up 22.85 percent from a week earlier.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at global ratings agency Moody's, warned that U.S. consumers are being threatened by a sharp rise in fuel prices. He said that if international oil prices climb by another 10 U.S. dollars per barrel, annual spending for an average U.S. household would increase by about 450 dollars.

Zandi noted that a surge in oil prices would intensify inflationary pressure in the United States, eroding consumers' purchasing power and weighing on consumption, economic growth, and employment.

Tensions sharply escalated across the Middle East on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale joint airstrikes on Iran. The Iranian side has responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the region, hitting many countries in the Gulf.

Escalating Middle East tensions drive up energy prices, squeezing US consumers