Cyclone Idai crashed into Mozambique on 14 March before tearing through neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and flooding an area of 3,000 sq km.
Millions of people have lost their homes and all of their possessions. Families, pregnant women, babies are living in temporary camps in horrific conditions, without secure food supplies, or safe drinking water and sanitation. The fears of waterborne diseases became a reality as Mozambique confirmed five cases of cholera around Beira.
MOZAMBIQUE
Cyclone Idai made landfall the night of March 14 near the port city of Beira, bringing heavy winds and rains. Two major rivers, the Buzi and the Pungue, burst their banks, submerging entire villages and leaving bodies floating in the water.
- Number killed: 447
- Number injured: 1,500
- Houses damaged or destroyed: 33,600
- Crops damaged: 500,000 hectares
- Number affected: 1.85 million
ZIMBABWE
On March 16, the storm hit eastern Zimbabwe, where it flattened homes and flooded communities in the Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.
- Number killed: 179, according to government, which says 329 people are still unaccounted for. The U.N. migration agency puts the death toll at 259.
- Number injured: 200
- Number displaced: 16,000 households
- Number affected: 250,000
MALAWI
Before it arrived, the storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the lower Shire River districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje, in Malawi’s south. The rains continued after the storm hit, compounding the misery of tens of thousands of people.
- Number killed: 60
- Number injured: 672
- Number displaced: 19,328 households
- Number affected: 868,895
HOW TO HELP
In some places, entire villages have been wiped out – with up to half the victims being children. Survivors are in need of shelter, food, clean water and sanitation. Cyclone Idai has devastated people’s lives. You can help by supporting local and international NGOs.
Individuals in South Africa have come together to collect parcels that will be sent to destroyed areas in Zimbabwe:
https://twitter.com/dee_lyt/status/1109881703252791297
https://twitter.com/balemye/status/1110824410364170240
The Zimbabwean Embassy and Consulates in South Africa are accepting parcel donations.
https://twitter.com/zimpretoria/status/1108659901159669760
Here are donation pages for relief organisations working on the ground:
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