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Cyclone Idai Leaves Thousands In Need

Beginning March 6th, Mozambique was hit with heavy rains. Over the next week, continuous downpour caused flooding and immense damage. Then, on the night of March 14th, Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique in Southern Africa. After the initial impact, the cyclone swept through parts of Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing over 1,000 people. Within the last month, thousands have been forced to leave their homes and many lack access to clean water due to damaged infrastructure. As the strongest recorded cyclone to hit the southern hemisphere, an estimated 73,600 people are living in evacuation camps and shelters in Mozambique alone and the area is experiencing an outbreak of cholera – upwards of 4,600 cases. And these numbers are expected to rise as groups become able to access hard-to-reach areas.

GlobalMedic assembles 2,200 international relief kits with Clean the World Foundation in response to Cyclone Idai

In effort to prevent the spread of cholera and provide assistance to those impacted, The WASH Foundation has partnered with GlobalMedic to provide access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. Just one week after Cyclone Idai tore through Southern Africa, GlobalMedic assembled 2,200 international relief kits that were received in Central Mozambique and Zimbabwe. These kits contained an array of valuable items including toothbrushes, toothpaste, bars of soap, and water purification tablets. On March 29th, an additional 240,000 bars of soap were sent to the affected region to help curtail the negative impact on health. With nearly 3 million people affected by the disaster, the international community continues to work towards recovery. We need all the help we can get. You can help us save lives by donating today.

*Feature image by Zinyange Auntony/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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