The number of deaths after the passage of cyclone Idai in Mozambique can amount to more than 1,000. President Filipe Nyusi stated this today to Radio Mozambique.
After visiting the affected region, Nyusi stated that 84 deaths have been confirmed so far, but fears that the number of deaths is much higher due to stories from rescue workers and the damage he has seen from the air. “More than 100,000 people are in danger,” said the president.
Cyclone Idai reached the central part of Mozambique on Thursday evening and then continued on his way to Zimbabwe. When it landed the cyclone had a force of four to five, and there were gusts of wind up to 160 kilometers per hour.
According to the International Red Cross, in the city of Beira, the second largest city in Mozambique, 90 percent of the buildings have been destroyed. “Communication is no longer possible and the roads are damaged. Communities are unreachable. We are told that the situation outside the city can be even worse,” it sounds.
In Zimbabwe, where at least 89 people were killed, the province of Manicaland was hit the hardest. Due to the severe floods, the state of emergency has been declared throughout the country. “The road network has been destroyed. The army is trying in every way possible to bring food, blankets, and medicines to the affected regions, ”the local authorities say.
The World Food Program has already announced that it will provide food aid for 600,000 people in the region
