Nearly 800 schools in Mozambique were destroyed by last week’s Tropical Storm Ana, the country’s education ministry has said.
Tents are being erected to serve as temporary classrooms for the 300,000 students and 4,700 teachers affected.
Storm Ana hit southern Africa last week killing more than 80 people – and making tens of thousands homeless.
The region is now bracing itself for a second storm expected to hit the region later this week.
Forecasters says tropical cyclone Batsirai intensified on Tuesday, with Mauritius issuing a class three warning – the second-highest level of weather alert.
Many families on the Indian Ocean island have been rushing to shops to stock up on food and have been told not venture out to sea.
In Mozambique, the clear-up is continuing in the country’s Manica, Nampula Sofala, Tete and Zambézia provinces, where 778 schools were wrecked by Storm Ana.
Gina Guibunda, an education ministry spokesperson, made the announcement at the start of Mozambique’s academic year.
Some schools that not been destroyed by Ana were also unable to open as they were being used by those made homeless, she added.
“Many times when we have these kinds of events, our schools are also used as accommodation centres,” Ms Guibunda explained.
A UN official has said that Storm Ana has shown the reality of the climate crisis facing Africa.
