As scenes of Cyclone Idai's destruction stream in from Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, the true scale of this disaster is beginning to be revealed. What we're learning is dire.

In Mozambique, relief workers on the ground are describing "inland oceans extending for miles and miles." Satellite imagery confirms these reports, showing roughly 835 square miles of homes and fields underwater.

The storm's death toll now stands at 761, and officials expect that figure to continue to climb as floodwaters begin to recede. More than 600,000 people across the region have been forced to flee their homes, and the first cases of cholera among survivors have been reported this week.

We’re grateful that 15 GlobalGiving partners are on the ground in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, delivering relief where and how it's needed most:

• Providing medical care and psychosocial support for survivors
• Distributing essential supplies such as food, safe drinking water, tents, clothing, fuel, radios, lanterns, and mosquito nets
• Repairing schools, roads, and other damaged infrastructure

You can support our partners' lifesaving work with a donation today to our Cyclone Idai Relief Fund. All donations to this fund will exclusively support disaster relief and recovery efforts in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

After a disaster like Cyclone Idai, recovery efforts led by people who live and work in affected communities are often underfunded. In fact, research has shown that less than 3% of global disaster relief funding goes to community-led nonprofits. This means some of the most vulnerable people affected by disasters get overlooked.

By giving to our Cyclone Idai Relief Fund—which is sending its first round of funding to our partners on the ground tomorrow—you’re helping change that reality. You can learn more about our unique approach to disaster relief by visiting the Disaster Recovery Network at GlobalGiving.

Last week experts at the United Nations declared the situation in Mozambique to be a humanitarian crisis on par with the wars in South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Yet public awareness of the scale of the disaster remains low—and that's why your support now is so crucial. Give today to our Cyclone Idai Relief Fund to stand with our partners on the ground and help those in need.

Warmly,
The GlobalGiving Team