Categories: Stories

UN ups Zimbabwe aid appeal after Cyclone Idai

The United Nations today asked donors for an extra $60 million to help Zimbabwe recover from a cyclone that tore through eastern regions last month.

The storm flooded swathes of land, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis caused by an earlier drought.

It killed at least 268 in the southern African country and hundreds more in neighbouring Mozambique and Malawi.

“The revised humanitarian flash appeal aims to respond to the rising humanitarian needs of people in Zimbabwe due to a dry spell, challenging economic situation and compounded by the recent Cyclone Idai disaster,” the UN resident coordinator in Harare, Bishow Parajuli, said.

The request raised its total current appeal for Zimbabwe to $294 million.

Parajuli said: “The United Nations, in response to Government’s request, launched a Humanitarian Flash Appeal recently requesting for $234 million to address the emergency needs of 2.2 million people as a result of economic challenges and drought in urban and rural areas of the country.

“Cyclone Idai has left an additional 270 000 people extremely vulnerable, bringing the total number of people targeted for humanitarian assistance by the UN and humanitarian partners to 2.47 million people with $294 million resources required.”-TR/Own

(143 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Is it true that 4 million Zimbabweans went without food on several occasions last year?

At least four million people in Zimbabwe reported that they had gone without food on…

November 5, 2026

Did you know that four of the world’s largest banks are all in China?

Four of the world’s largest banks are all in China. Assets of the Industrial and…

October 15, 2026

Zimbabwe one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% has more wealth than the bottom 80%

Zimbabwe is one of the 27 countries in the world where the richest 0.1% of…

October 2, 2026

Zimbabwe third among the least free countries in SADC

Zimbabwe has been ranked third among the least free countries in Southern Africa but it…

May 24, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death- Take 1

I had always considered it a curse for a wife to die before her husband.…

May 18, 2026

Why I had a girlfriend two months after my wife’s death

This is a true story about the challenges and loneliness I faced when my wife…

May 17, 2026