Support Red Cross cyclone relief efforts

The South African Red Cross (RC) is appealing to the public and businesses for urgent aid, including donations of non-perishable foods, water, blankets, tents, clothing, monetary donations, transportation and volunteers to assist people affected by Cyclone Idai.

International Red Cross and Red Crescent teams have accelerated their disease prevention activities among vulnerable communities.

This comes after the confirmed cases of cholera in Mozambique, with deployment of an emergency response unit to provide clean water for up to 15 000 people a day and an emergency sanitation unit which supports 20 000 people a day.

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Their overall goals are:

• to provide immediate life-saving and long-term support to 200 000 people affected by Cyclone Idai in Beira and Dondo, focusing on shelter (including household items); health; water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (Wash); livelihood and basic needs; protection, gender and inclusion (PGI), disaster risk reduction (DRR) and National Society Capacity Strengthening.

• to enable the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies to support the Mozambique Red Cross (CVM) to deliver assistance to 200 000 people with a focus on shelter (including household items), health, Wash, livelihood and basic needs, DRR, PGI and National Society Capacity Strengthening for 24 months.

Urgent needs:

• Shelter and household items: Thousands of families have been displaced and most homes have experienced significant damage. The RC will focus on providing immediate shelter support to 15 000 families. There is a need for the provision of temporary shelters, especially for families whose houses have been completely destroyed.

• Water and sanitation: The cyclone has damaged most water points, sanitation and hygiene facilities in affected areas. People have lost their access to Wash services and facilities, families are displaced and need to be supported to prevent water-borne disease outbreaks.

• Health interventions: Floods and cyclonic events often lead to death and injuries, as well as increased health needs in affected communities. Infectious diseases are likely to increase in the aftermath of the disaster.

• Food security: Due to the destructions, flooding and displacement of population, food availability is very limited. Although not known precisely, initial reports indicate that at least 500 000 hectares of crops have been damaged or destroyed and this will continue to impact food security and nutrition in the months ahead.

• DRR: The coast of Mozambique is regularly affected by strong cyclones and flooding and, due to climate change, these hazards may become more frequent and intense. IFRC will leverage the response and recovery phase as an opportunity to reduce future risks.

Donation can be dropped off at the Red Cross branch on 7 O’Reilly Merry Street, Northmead, and in Daveyton at 1352 Nawa Street, Etwatwa West.

You can also donate online at www.redcross.org.za/donate/

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