Appeals for Cyclone Idai Victims

Wednesday March 20 2019

Aid agencies have launched emergency appeals to help the victims of the widespread death and destruction caused by Cyclone Idai in south east Africa.

Both Tearfund and Christian Aid have announced the release of emergency reserves to help with the immediate relief effort following the storm, which made landfall in Mozambique on Thursday and moved eastward across Malawi and Zimbabwe over the weekend.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the President of Mozambique has warned that the number killed could exceed 1,000, and thousands more have been displaced and left homeless. Nearly 1.6m people live in areas potentially impacted by high winds and rainfall.

Nicholas Shamano, Christian Aid Country Director for Zimbabwe, said: “The situation is already dire. Lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and property have been lost. The priority now must be on addressing the immediate needs of the affected communities. But we also need to focus on addressing the effects of natural disasters and improve disaster preparedness for communities at risk to ensure resilience to extreme weather systems”

Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, said: “My colleagues in Malawi have shared with me their pain that years of work have been washed away within a space of four days. Livelihoods have been turned over and we have to start rebuilding the lives of the vulnerable populations for whom we have worked so hard to help restore dignity.
“Malawi holds a special place in the hearts of Scots. There is a heightened awareness of the current struggle and people are already responding. Christian Aid’s partners on the ground in Malawi and Zimbabwe are working hard to provide the basic resources desperately needed now and will be there to help strengthen fragile infrastructures. When the storm is over, the work will continue. Thanks to everyone for their generous, active concern.”

Tearfund announced that it had released £53,000 immediately to provide food and temporary shelter, and also plans to distribute seeds to mitigate the risk of food shortages in the medium team as the cyclone and floods destroyed mature crops that were ready for harvesting.  

Tearfund’s Country Director for Mozambique, Edgar Jone, said: “This is a catastrophe. It’s a huge setback for the work we are doing to support people to overcome poverty in Mozambique. Our priority now is to reach those people who have lost so much and support them to get back on their feet. Cyclone Idai has destroyed so much in an instance, and it will take years for people to recover what they have lost.”

Christian Aid’s Cyclone Idai Appeal

Tearfund’s Disaster Relief Fund

Post Tags: christian aid, tearfund, cyclone idai

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