In the early morning of January 23rd, Cyclone Eloise made landfall in Mozambique early with winds of up to 140km/h and intense rain. The IsraAID Mozambique team is continuing to assess the situation, whilst planning to install water filters, distribute PPE, and provide other essential non-food items.
Cyclone Idai made landfall near the port city of Beira on March 14, 2019 with heavy rains, flooding & mudslides leaving a wave of destruction in parts of Mozambique. As many as 1,000 people were killed, with hundreds of thousands impacted. On January 23rd, 2021, Cyclone Eloise made landfall in Mozambique with winds of up to 140km/h and intense rain. The cyclone primarily affected Sofala province where IsraAID's team is based. More than 176,500 have been affected and at least 6 people killed.
IsraAID's Emergency Response Team will travel to the affected area to distribute emergency relief supplies, support local communities with Psychological First Aid and psychosocial support, and assess immediate and ongoing WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) needs. The team will also conduct an assessment of both immediate and longer-term needs in order to best support affected communities as they recover and build future resilience.
The initial days and weeks following a disaster are crucial towards minimizing its long-term destructive effects. Beyond that, as part of IsraAID's emphasis on long-term recovery, the team will engage with local partners to build a longer-term recovery strategy. IsraAID's team will utilize the organization's extensive emergency response and long-term development experience around the world to guide their work.