One month on from Cyclone Idai, 1.6 million children still reeling from its impact – UNICEF  

14th April 2019

 

PRESS RELEASE  

One month on from Cyclone Idai, 1.6 million children still reeling from its impact – UNICEF  

Children need urgent access to health, nutrition and water services to prevent malnutrition and disease outbreaks. Cholera cases approach 5,000.

UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power recently visited affected areas near Beira in Mozambique and is available for interview 

Photos and Broll available here: https://uni.cf/2WtSxed 

NEW YORK/ BEIRA/CHIMANIMANI/LILONGWE/DUBLIN 14 APRIL 2019 – At least 1.6 million children need urgent assistance – in healthcare, nutrition, protection, education, water and sanitation – one month after Cyclone Idai devastated parts of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, UNICEF said today. Any prolonged interruption in access to essential services could lead to disease outbreaks and spikes in malnutrition, to which children are especially vulnerable. 

 The needs in Mozambique remain massive, with 1 million children in need of assistance, followed by more than 443,000 in Malawi and 130,000 in Zimbabwe. 

 Mozambique has already seen cases of cholera and malaria surge to 4,600 and 7,500 respectively since the cyclone hit. 

UNICEF is particularly worried about access to services for the more than 130,000 children who remain displaced following the cyclone, most of whom are in Mozambique and Malawi. More than 200,000 homes were destroyed by the storm in Mozambique alone. 

“Children living in crowded shelters or away from their homes are at risk of diseases, exploitation and abuse,” said Peter Power, UNICEF Ireland Executive Director, who visited areas near Beira in Mozambique in the aftermath of the Cyclone Idai. “The road to recovery will be long. It is imperative that humanitarian partners are there every step of the way. We need to help children and families survive and then get back on their feet.” 

Across the three countries, flood waters have largely receded, and some affected families have started to return home. Yet thousands remain in evacuation camps because their houses were damaged or destroyed. Food security is also a major issue because the storm destroyed crops weeks before the harvest. 

UNICEF and its partners continue to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of children and families. UNICEF actions to date include: 

UNICEF has launched an appeal for US$122 million to support its humanitarian response for children and families affected by the storm and its aftermath, in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi over the next nine months 

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About UNICEF 

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. 

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Contacts  

Danny Smits, UNICEF Ireland, +353 87 1308070, danny@unicef.ie  

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