Will you help cyclone victims in Mozambique?

"We are living an unprecedented natural disaster. "

(Mozambique, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia)

I know that we all have our struggles, but can we stop thinking about ourselves for just a few moments, and still find solidarity for those who are far from us and fighting a struggle for life at this very moment?  Spread the word and help Mozambique, if you can. Thank you.

A poor country with a long coastline, Mozambique is especially vulnerable to storms sweeping in from the Indian Ocean. People of southeast Africa are now suffering the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai resulting in significant damage and destruction to shelter and settlements, health, water and sanitation facilities, as well as large swathes of crops. Idai cyclone made landfall near Beira, a city of 500,000 people, in Mozambique, and moved inland causing widespread damage and severe flooding in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, with 177km/h (106 mph) winds on 14 March. Central Mozambique was hit particularly hard. Aid workers are slowly delivering relief, but conditions are said to be extremely difficult, with some areas completely inaccessible due to water floods. 12 miles away from the sea the landscape is now covered in water, life was swallowed and dragged away. Delivering relief to many of the survivors remains a struggle because bridges are damaged or gone and blocked roads have delayed access to many areas. Helicopters are scarce and owners are unscrupulous doubling the rent price profiting without from the catastrophe. Mozambique had borne the brunt of flooding from rivers that flow downstream from neighbouring countries.Thousands remain trapped by the floodwaters, and many of the Mozambican government's relief centres have only just started receiving food supplies - more than a week after the storm first struck. Nearly 90,000 Mozambicans are thought to be sheltering in temporary sites, while thousands of others are still stranded in floodwaters. Today, the news puts the overall death toll at about 700 people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Idai is described by the United Nations as "one of the worst weather-related disasters ever to hit the southern hemisphere. " Idai has so far killed 242 people in Mozambique, 259 in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi, and numbers are expected to rise. Nearly two million people have been affected. With waters receding and water and sanitation systems largely destroyed, the stagnant water and decomposing bodies, as well lack of hygiene and sanitation, have created a risk of outbreaks of malaria and cholera.

How to help Mozambique:

The UN’s International Disaster Relief System fund would support efforts to provide aid to more than 400,000 people. UNICEF is also on the ground helping children and families. You can make a tax-deductible donation to their relief fund here.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is already providing shelter and water purification supplies in Beira. Two additional emergency response units have been deployed to the city to provide sanitation facilities and water. The International Committee of the Red Cross is helping register missing persons and reconnect families separated by the storm. You can make a donation to their relief fund here

Knowing more about IDAI and Mozambique catastrophe:

UN chief calls for ‘far greater support’ for Cyclone Idai response

Harrowing scenes after Cyclone Idai with inland ocean visible from outer space

Mozambique: “Tens of thousands of families have lost everything”

Como ajudar Moçambique: 

Moçambique: Fundo de Emergência da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa quase que duplicou em 24 horas

Com o objetivo de apoiar a população afectada pelo ciclone Idai, existem duas contas, uma na Caixa Geral de Depósitos e outra no Millennium bcp, para as quais qualquer cidadão pode fazer o seu donativo, seja por transferência bancária (na ATM ou por homebanking), MB WAY, ou através das Apps MB Way, Millennium bcp, CaixaDirecta ou Caixa Easy. As contas são respectivamente da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa (conta na Caixa Geral de Depósitos) e da UNICEF Portugal (conta no Millennium bcp).

Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa, Página da transparência

Conta da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa na Caixa Geral de Depósitos:
IBAN PT50 0035 0027 0008 2402 2305 3

UNICEF, Emergência em Moçambique

Conta da UNICEF Portugal no Millennium bcp:
IBAN PT50 0033 0000 5013 1901 2290 5
MB WAY: 919 919 939

Os CTT - Correios de Portugal, em parceria com os Correios de Moçambique, arrancam esta segunda-feira, dia 25, com uma acção de recolha de roupas doadas pelos portugueses nas Lojas CTT,  que fornecerão Embalagens Solidárias para que os portugueses possam enviar roupas para Moçambique. Basta chegar a uma das 538 Lojas CTT espalhadas por todo o país, pedir uma Embalagem Solidária, colocar o donativo e o envio será realizado, de forma gratuita. Roupas, são uma das grandes necessidades em Moçambique, segundo o pedido dos Correios de Moçambique. A entrega pode ser feita até 8 de Abril.