Cyclone Idai: where we are six months on

Since then, with your support, Concern Worldwide UK and other Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) members have worked tirelessly to provide immediate and long-term assistance to the people affected by this devastating disaster.

When Cyclone Idai hit, strong winds and widespread flooding ripped apart roads, bridges, houses, schools and health facilities and submerged vast strips of agricultural land. The scale of the devastation was unprecedented.

The cyclone also came at the worst possible time for food production in the region. March is the maize harvest season, many crops were wiped out and much of the livestock was lost. The disaster also followed a series of cyclic droughts, which meant people were already vulnerable due to a lack of reliable harvests and healthy livestock.

Shortly after Cyclone Idai hit, the DEC opened an emergency appeal, raising funds to ensure that those affected got the help they needed. So far, the appeal has raised £41 million, including £4 million in Aid Match from the UK government.

With this money, DEC member charities were able to respond, providing immediate life-saving relief support including food, medicine, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. The immediate focus of the international community was on relief and recovery; but we have also started providing, long-term recovery and building people’s resilience to future shocks.

So far, with the money raised from this DEC appeal, Concern Worldwide UK has supported 27, 653 people affected by Cyclone Idai. Specifically, we have:

• Delivered agricultural support such as fast-growing seeds to over 5,000 households, allowing people to begin to replant their ruined crops.
• Provided cash transfers to over 5,000 households to help families meet their immediate needs.
• Trained 139 Lead Farmers to extend training to their respective follower farmers in certain areas.
• Helped the formation of 50 irrigation clubs to provide water management to people living in Phalombe district.

In the longer term, we will also need to help people rebuild their livelihoods in a way that makes them more resilient to future climate shocks. Our ongoing work on climate smart agriculture, such as introducing drought-resistant seeds, for instance, is an important part of this long-term support.

We couldn’t have done this without your help. Thank you.

Check out the DEC’s interactive map that tracks the timeline of the crisis and launch of the appeal to see how else your support has helped those affected by Cyclone Idai.