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

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