Southern African Tropical Cyclones

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Southern African Tropical Cyclones

In March and April, two cyclones stuck Mozambique within five weeks of each other causing massive flooding throughout the country. USAID has a team on the ground Mozambique working with UN and NGO partners to provide critical assistance to people in need.

CARE / Josh Estey

In March and April, two cyclones stuck Mozambique within five weeks of each other causing massive flooding throughout the country. USAID has a team on the ground Mozambique working with UN and NGO partners to provide critical assistance to people in need.

Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall over Mozambique between March 14 and 15, producing torrential rains and strong winds across the country, as well as in neighboring Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Cyclone Idai is now considered the worst natural disaster in southern Africa in nearly two decades. Approximately 900 square miles of land was covered in water – that’s an area larger than New York City and Los Angeles combined. The catastrophic flooding triggered by the storm has killed more than 600 people and nearly 1.9 million are in need of assistance.

On March 20, USAID deployed a DART to Mozambique to assess damage, identify priority needs, and work closely with partners to provide critical assistance to people in Mozambique. This elite team from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance is comprised of: logisticians, and food security, shelter, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene experts. The DART is currently working with the World Food Program (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Health Organization (WHO), CARE, Catholic Relief Services, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, MENTOR initiative, FHI 360, Land O'Lakes, and World Vision to provide emergency shelter, food, health care,water, improved sanitation, and hygiene supplies.

Cyclone Kenneth struck Mozambique April 25. USAID has deployed a team to the affected area and is providing additional food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

On May 17, USAID officially stood down its DART for Cyclones Idai and Kenneth. A small team of USAID disaster experts, supported by an enhanced USAID regional team, will remain in Mozambique to lead USAID’s response efforts and continue to work with our partners to provide life-saving assistance.

To date, the United States has provided nearly $99 million in humanitarian assistance to help people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi who have been affected by Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth, as well as flooding that occurred in early March.

 

Photo by USAID/OFDA

HOW WE'RE SUPPORTING

Watch how USAID is responding to Cyclone Idai
Photo by ADRIEN BARBIER / AFP

WHAT WE'RE SAYING

What we're saying about the Cyclone Idai response
Josh Estey/CARE

WHAT WE'RE SEEING

View the Cyclone Idai crisis response photo gallery

Latest Updates:

Southern Africa - Tropical Cyclones Fact Sheet #14 FY 2019
August 13, 2019

Food security actors estimate that approximately 1.65 million people in Mozambique are experiencing acute food insecurity caused by cyclone damage, drought, crop pests, and insecurity, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). In Zimbabwe, nearly 2.3 million people across most of the country are experiencing severe acute food insecurity earlier than usual due to poor crop production, compounded by damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai in southeastern parts of the country, as well as Zimbabwe’s ongoing economic crisis. Food security outcomes in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and southern Malawi are expected to deteriorate through March, the typical end of the lean season.

Southern Africa - Tropical Cyclones - Map #13 FY2019
June 14, 2019

Map showing the affected areas and the humanitarian response in Southern Africa. Map #13 for May 31, 2019

Southern Africa - Tropical Cyclones - Fact Sheet #13 FY2019
June 14, 2019

In late May, the UN and partner organizations increased the Tropical Cyclone Kenneth flash appeal from $85.2 million to $103.7 million to support the needs of cyclone- and drought-affected populations in Mozambique through June 2019. The additional $18.5 million is requested for the Food Security Cluster (FSC) to address food security and livelihoods needs for a period of three months; the original appeal only covered FSC programming for two months.

Southern Africa - Tropical Cyclones - Fact Sheet #12 FY2019
May 20, 2019

The Government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM) reported that the official count for Tropical Cyclone Kenneth-related deaths remained at 45 people as of May 12. In addition, the GRM reports the number of people in need of assistance from Tropical Cyclone Kenneth has increased to nearly 286,300 people as humanitarian agencies access additional populations affected by the storm. However, humanitarian access remains a challenge in areas affected by Tropical Cyclone Kenneth, with many areas remaining inaccessible by road and requiring access via air or river transport.

Southern Africa - Tropical Cyclone Idai - Fact Sheet #11 FY2019
May 13, 2019

The Government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM) reported that the official count for Tropical Cyclone Kenneth-related deaths had increased to 45 people as of May 9. In addition, the GRM reports the number of people in need of assistance from Tropical Cyclone Kenneth has increased to nearly 255,000 people as humanitarian agencies access additional populations affected by the storm. Improved weather conditions have allowed relief actors to begin delivering assistance in areas impacted by Tropical Cyclone Kenneth; however, road, security, and weather conditions continue to constrain humanitarian access to some hard-to-reach areas.

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