International donors meeting in Rome have promised Mozambique nearly $453 million to help rebuild its economy and infrastructure after the worst floods in living memory.

The figure is $3m more than the Mozambique Government had requested when presenting its rebuilding programme at the two-day aid conference.

"Today is a very good day for Mozambique, a very good day for Africa and a very good day for development cooperation," said UNDP head Mark Malloch Brown.

"I had expected the $200-$300 million range, and I'd feared closer to $200 million than $300 million," he added.

He said $100 million of the funding would be available within weeks.

The floods in February and March killed some 700 people and displaced half a million more.

The World Food Programme say that the emergency camps are almost empty now as the majority of flood survivors have returned to rebuild their ruined homes.