Lift up cyclone-devastated families in Mozambique

Since Cyclone Idai, which brought catastrophic damage to Mozambique in March 2019, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) has assisted survivors who were in serious humanitarian needs. However, before we could find their full recovery from loss and turmoil, another new cyclone (Eloise) has landed on central Mozambique in January 2021. The strong wind collapsed houses, and torrential rains flooded rivers and lands in Sofala province as well as the surrounding three provinces.  As of February 4, 2021, the number of affected people was 441,686 (86,412 households), with the farmland of 219,124 hectares flooded. In Sofala province only, which was the hardest hit by this disaster again, more than 34,000 persons (8,800 households) escaped to temporary shelters.  Because of the amount of rainfall was so big, much of the land and roads are still under water or muds even now, making it very difficult to deliver relief items in many areas.  

There is a primary school, turned into a temporary shelter at in Buzi District, and its emergency soup kitchen provides meals only once a day, only for adults.  Some parents give up their meals so that they can feed their children.  PWJ knew families were in dire need for more food, so we provided with meal ingredients (corn flour, beans, oil, salt) for about 2,710 families at the temporary shelters in Buzi District.

The recovery will take a long term intervention - Mozambique government has begun setting up resettlement areas by clearing lands that were originally uninhabited bushes and fields, and promoting migration of those who were affected by the disasters. However, these resettlement areas must first begin with the construction of housing and toilets by migrants themselves. And of course, there is no other basic infrastructures such as electricity or water. Currently, people are living in simple shelters using natural materials such as straws and muds, and worn-out tarpaulins so they could avoid rain and wind. They are also digging well wells by hand for drinking water, though the water is not safe to drink but they have no other choice.

The majority of the affected people are farmers who have lost a source of income, because the crops in the fields have been devastated. In order for them to resettle in the new land, they are in need support for housing materials, well constructions, agricultural tools and seeds so that they can begin rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. And PWJ continues to help fulfill such needs, so that people affected by cyclones in Mozambique will be able to recover faster.

Thank you for your support.