Cyclone Idai Update

When Cyclone Idai made landfall on 15 March more than 740 people were killed and almost 3 million people were suddenly in need of emergency aid.

One farmer affected spoke about losing his home and crops. His family of seven woke to a living nightmare: ‘It was night time when we saw water entering our house,’ 

‘We woke up and tried climbing on top of the house, but it then collapsed. I was very scared as we did not know what to do. We climbed a mango tree waiting for the rescue team which came with canoes taking us to safety, leaving everything behind.’

More than five months have passed since then, Tearfund Ireland has been working with partners in Mozambique to respond.

The hardest hit areas were around central Mozambique, where more than 600 people died and 1,600 were injured.

Tearfund partners are providing relief in some of the hardest to reach areas. They are distributing food, basic household goods, seeds and tools, as well as providing psychosocial support and access to clean water.

Getting help to people has been challenging as many roads were destroyed. There has also been concern at the spread of cholera after the disaster, but thankfully a large-scale outbreak hasn’t occurred.