Mozambique is hoping to secure billions of dollars for reconstruction after the devastation of cyclones Idai and Kenneth. Cyclone Idai alone left more than 600 people dead and about 1.8 million people in need. According to the United Nations, Mozambique needs $3.2bn for post-cyclone reconstruction. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says growth could slow to at least 1.8 percent from 3.5 percent from losses to agriculture, transport and communications. Food shortages in Beira, one of the hardest-hit cities, and surrounding areas could push prices up 8.5 percent from 5.5 percent. Mozambique's port of Beira is an important hub for the country, as well as for neighbouring Malawi and Zimbabwe. But it is not operating right now. And according to the finance ministry, most homes, hospitals and schools had suffered large-scale destruction. A debt crisis has complicated Mozambique's finances. In 2016, it admitted to $1.4bn in undisclosed funding. That prompted the IMF to cut off support, triggering a currency collapse and debt default. It has little hope of repaying the debt. In 2017, the debt-to-GDP ratio was 112 percent. By 2022, the IMF forecasts that it could climb to over 130 percent. But the country is resource rich. It hopes to become the next liquified natural gas powerhouse. By 2025, Mozambique is on track to invest $128bn. But it would still be many many years before it gets over its debt crisis and begins to reap the benefit of the gas. Anish Kapadia, managing director of Akap Energy, says, "some of the debt was clearly fraudulently issued and then you've got the more conventional eurobonds that were issued as well. In terms of that fraudulently issued debt, there's a good chance that Mozambique may be able to get that written off ..." "In terms of the eurobond issue, I think it makes sense for the Mozambique government to come to some kind of an agreement with the debt holders to move forward because the main thing is that Mozambique needs to be in a position where it can raise further debt going forward from really benefit from the full potential of the LNG projects in the country." More from Counting the Cost on: YouTube - http://aje.io/countingthecostYT Website - http://aljazeera.com/countingthecost/ - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/