Cyclone Idai: Damage is “major and very worrisome” – President

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Cyclone Idai: Damage is “major and very worrisome” – President

5:27 CAT | 15 Mar 2019

Photo: Noticias

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi described the damage caused by cyclone Idai in the central region as “very worrisome” but did not report data on deaths or injuries due to “search difficulties”.

“The material damage so far has been major and very worrisome,” said Filipe Nyusi, in an address to the nation, made from the Maputo International Airport, before embarking on a state visit to the kingdom of eSwatíni (ex- Swaziland).

The President of the Republic expressed his concern for the lack of conditions for aircraft landing, traffic circulation and electric power supply in the city of Beira due to the damage caused by Idai.

The Mozambican head of state said that that the storm had totally or partially destroyed houses, hospitals, health centres, schools, commercial buildings, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.

The cities of Beira and Dondo, the district of Mafambisse (Sofala province) and the city of Chimoio and the administrative post of Inchope ( Manica province) are currently without electricity due to the Idai, which made landfall on the region on the 14th , said Filipe Nyusi.

The cyclone also affected Zambezia province, where it destroyed social and economic infrastructure and displaced dozens of families.

Inhassoro district, in Inhambane province, is also under a power outage because of fallen medium voltage electricity poles.

Filipe Nyusi said that as soon as conditions for access to affected areas were normalised, ministers and deputy ministers would be sent to these areas, to assess the damage and need for assistance.

Residents in the Munhava neighbourhood in the city of Beira, central Mozambique, reported to Lusa on Tuesday that there had been casualties in that area due to the destruction caused by the passage of Cyclone Idai.

The private TV channel STV reported that there was at least one death in the collapse of a house in Nhamatanda district, about 100 kilometres from the provincial capital.

Karin Manente, a representative of the World Food Program (WFP) in the country, told Lusa today that there are food products and five helicopters from different relief agencies ready to take action in the centre region as soon as there are weather conditions to operate.

This is the second strong storm to ravage central and northern Mozambique in just over a week.

Since March 6, at least 15 people have died and more than 103,000 have been affected by heavy rains and floods in central and northern Mozambique, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Just returning from the #INGC warehouse in Maputo. #COSACA #CARE is supporting #INGC to transport additional relief items to #Cyclone #Idai affected areas in #Beira. Relief items supplied with support from #UKAID. #CARE logistics team remains on stand-by for more support. pic.twitter.com/jwRPs0gj39

— Marc Nosbach (@NosbachMarc) March 15, 2019

Convoy enroute approx 100km from Gorongosa pic.twitter.com/rPtuO92i9N

— Marc Nosbach (@NosbachMarc) March 15, 2019

More help on the way: High Energy Biscuits just packed for airfreight at @unhrd, to support people isolated and in dire need because of the impact of #MozambiqueFloods2019 and cyclone #Idai, affecting central provinces of #Mozambique. pic.twitter.com/hHmdtsqvhK

— WFP Mozambique (@wfp_mozambique) March 14, 2019

Source: Lusa