Chronicle Editor
MAPUTO – Hundreds of thousands of people are still in need of aid after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March.
More than 1 000 people have been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. The World Bank estimates the affected countries will need over $2 billion to recover.
Following is an outline of the disaster, according to government and UN officials.
MOZAMBIQUE
Cyclone Idai made landfall on the night of March 14, near the port city of Beira, bringing heavy winds and rains. Two major rivers, the Buzi and the Pungue, burst their banks, submerging villages and leaving bodies floating in the water.
People killed: 602
People injured: 1 641
Houses damaged or destroyed: 239 682
Crops damaged: 715 378 hectares
People affected: 1.85 million
Confirmed cholera cases: 4 979
Confirmed cholera deaths: 8
MALAWI
Before it arrived, the storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the lower Shire River districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje in Malawi’s south. The rains continued after the storm hit, compounding the misery of tens of thousands of people.
People killed: 60
People injured: 672
People displaced: 19 328 households
People affected: 868 895 – Reuters
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