Aid agency CARE Australia has launched an emergency appeal to help families in southern Africa who have been affected by the devastating Cyclone Idai and subsequent flooding.

Cyclone Idai has triggered a major disaster with more than 1.5 million people affected. Officials expect the death toll to rise above 1,000 in Mozambique alone while Zimbabwe and Malawi have also been badly hit.

CARE’s Mozambique Country Director Marc Nosbach, who is leading the aid agency’s response, said the situation remains critical:

“The power of the cyclone is visible everywhere with shipping containers moved like little Lego blocks. Roads to the areas hit by the cyclone have been completely blocked by fallen trees and rubble. The infrastructure has been completely destroyed and there has been significant damage to houses and buildings, including health facilities and schools.”

CARE has staff on the ground in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi and has already moved emergency supplies into the affected areas. Flash flooding and rising water levels following the cyclone are putting even more lives at risk.

CARE Australia emergency response manager, Stefan Knollmayer, said:

“Our teams are working around the clock and delivering lifesaving shelter, hygiene kits and clean drinking water to families who have lost everything. It’s critically important right now that families can stay clean and protect themselves from dangerous floodwaters as there is a huge risk of disease in the aftermath of such catastrophes.”

To donate to CARE Australia’s Cyclone Idai Appeal visit care.org.au/cyclone or call 1800 020 046.

For interviews with spokespeople in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, contact Iona Salter on 0412 449 691 or email iona.salter@care.org.au

Images and vision:

• Images and footage from the city of Beira in Mozambique (cedit: CARE / Josh Estey)
• More to come of relief efforts and evacuations

About CARE in southern Africa

CARE has been working in Mozambique since the 1980s and in Zimbabwe and Malawi since the 1990s. CARE has played a vital role in emergency responses in the region, including after Cyclone Dineo which hit Mozambique in February 2017. CARE places a special emphasis on women and girls, who are normally the worst affected by disasters and who often prioritise their families’ needs ahead of their own.