Preventing the malaria outbreak in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

On March 15, Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique and Zimbabwe with full force. The death toll is high, in both countries the disaster left 1000 dead and many missing. Action against Hunger in partnership with local actors provides humanitarian assistance to the people in need. Around 3000 cases of cholera were reported. We are providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent the spread of diseases and contain an already catastrophic situation.

Tropical Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique and Zimbabwe, leaving cities flooded, destroyed and populations in urgent need of assistance. Today, one month after the disaster, the situation is critical and humanitarian aid is essential. Many areas remain difficult to access and the death and disappearance toll continues to rise. In Mozambique, 140,000 people are displaced; the most affected city is Beira. Torrential rains and winds of more than 170 km/h caused enormous human and material damage. In total, there are 2 million people affected in both countries.

Road infrastructures as well as water supply and sanitation networks are severely damaged or even destroyed, which encourages the development of diseases such as cholera, malaria and typhoid fever.

We work with local actors such as Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) in Zimbabwe and Kulima in Mozambique. We are also working with the support of the French organization Aquassistance to limit health risks and provide humanitarian aid to the affected populations.

Mozambique

Mozambique is no stranger to tropical storms, since the 2000s, more than 7 hurricanes have hit the country. Before the cyclone, the food situation was already problematic. Today, in addition to the obvious material damage caused by the storm, we are also identifying the long-term consequences.

The port city of Beira, the country’s second largest city, has been almost wiped off the map. It was home to 500,000 inhabitants before Cyclone Idai and is now 90% flooded. Most of the inhabitants have lost their homes, but also their land and crops.

A few weeks after the disaster, a cholera epidemic broke out with more than 3000 cases in 10 days. The most affected city is once again Beira, especially the Munhava district. This epidemic is worsening an already catastrophic situation.

We are working with the local organization Kulima to provide access to safe drinking water, one of the urgent priorities and an essential element to prevent the spread of the cholera epidemic in the country. Aquassistance, our partner, has supported us in the setting up of drinking water distribution stations. Our joint intervention has planned to help 24,000 people in the coming months.

Action Against Hunger is implementing an emergency program to provide access to water, sanitation and hygiene. We also install emergency latrines, and organize hygiene awareness sessions to spread the messages of good practices to limit the spread of cholera. 

Zimbabwe

The country has been experiencing an economic crisis for several months now and at the same time suffers from food insecurity caused by a poor harvest this year. More than half of the population lives in rural areas and a large majority are below the poverty line, at least 76% of the population. The destructive passage of the cyclone only aggravated an already precarious situation in a country where half the population is under 18 years old.