Britain says it is the largest donor to Cyclone Idai

Britain said yesterday it was the largest donor to Cyclone Idai after it made £22 million available to the three countries affected, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

It said 114 000 people in Chimanimani, which was the worst affected area in Zimbabwe, needed urgent food assistance and as of 25 March it had allocated £850 000 in emergency assistance to Zimbabwe.

Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Harriett Baldwin said in Zimbabwe, Britain was funding essential health supplies, hygiene kits and child protection support.

British aid to Zimbabwe is not channelled through the Zimbabwe government.

Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt said about 2.6 million people were affected by Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa.

Some 129 000 people in Mozambique are now in accommodation centres and about 1.85 million people need assistance.

In Malawi 87 000 people were displaced while 80 000 lost their homes entirely in Zimbabwe.

“UK aid funding is being used to send life-saving relief supplies and equipment, including 7 550 shelter kits and 100 family tents which are now in use in Mozambique. Following an assessment of need, further supplies are being flown into Mozambique on a charter aircraft from Doncaster Sheffield Airport and an RAF A400M Atlas aircraft, which arrived in Mozambique on 26 March,” Mordaunt said.

“In Malawi, the UK’s package of emergency support is funding shelter, food assistance, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). These will be delivered through the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the Red Cross.

“The funding will target the most affected areas of Phalombe, Nsanje, and Chikwawa. 65 000 people will be provided with emergency shelter, 150 000 people will receive food assistance for two months, 250 000 people will be provided with WASH support and 130 000 people will be helped to access health services.

“In Zimbabwe, UK aid funding has been provided for health, WASH, and child protection assistance in the worst-affected areas, including Chimanimani. DFID is also supporting the immediate provision of emergency latrines and sanitation equipment.”

Cyclone Idai which rocked the country two weeks ago left nearly 200 people dead in Zimbabwe and scores are still missing.

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