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BEIRA, Mozambique (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Damaged buildings are seen as flood waters begin to recede in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, near Beira, Mozambique March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
As of Monday, at least 686 people had been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. Following is an outline of the disaster, according to government and United Nations officials:
MOZAMBIQUE
Cyclone Idai made landfall the night of March 14 near the port city of Beira, bringing heavy winds and rains. Two major rivers, the Buzi and the Pungue, burst their banks, submerging entire villages and leaving bodies floating in the water.
Number killed: 447
Number injured: 1,500
Houses damaged or destroyed: 33,600
Crops damaged: 500,000 hectares
Number affected: 531,000
ZIMBABWE
On March 16, the storm hit eastern Zimbabwe, where it flattened homes and flooded communities in the Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.
Number killed: 179, according to government, which says 329 people are still unaccounted for. The U.N. migration agency puts the death toll at 259.
Number injured: 200
Number displaced: 16,000 households
Number affected: 250,000
MALAWI
Before it arrived, the storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the lower Shire River districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje, in Malawi’s south. The rains continued after the storm hit, compounding the misery of tens of thousands of people.
Number killed: 60
Number injured: 672
Number displaced: 19,328 households
Number affected: 868,895
Reporting by Emma Rumney in Beira, Tom Miles in Geneva, MacDonald Dzirutwe in Harare and Frank Phiri in Blantyre; Writing by Alexandra Zavis; Editing by Louise Heavens, Andrew Cawthorne and Frances Kerry
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