© Solidar Suisse
Zurich - 25. March 2019

Mozambique: Help for the Victims of Cyclone Idai

© Solidar Suisse

Cyclone Idai has caused death and devastation in southeastern Africa. Hundreds of people are still missing. Helvetas and Solidar Suisse are working together to provide emergency aid in Mozambique.

On the night of 15 March, a cyclone measuring four out of five hit land in the Mozambican coastal town of Beira. In Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, "Idai" claimed hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives and destroyed the livelihoods of millions of people. And the disaster continues: rivers are still rising in the affected areas. There is a lack of clean drinking water and shelter. The harvest is destroyed, epidemics threaten the people.

In Mozambique, which was hit hardest, Helvetas is working with Solidar Suisse to provide emergency aid for the victims of the cyclone. As a first step, the plan is to clean wells and renew water systems to ensure access to clean water as quickly as possible and to reduce the risk of epidemics. Sanitation facilities in schools, hospitals and clinics will also be rehabilitated. In a second step, seeds and agricultural equipment will be provided to help people rebuild their livelihoods.