Israeli humanitarian aid agency IsraAID reports that it is preparing its emergency response to Cyclone Kenneth, which hit northern Mozambique as a category four cyclone on April 25, killing at least 38 people, with subsequent heavy rains threatening to cause potentially catastrophic flooding.
This is the second cyclone to hit Mozambique in just over a month, after Cyclone Idai devastated the center of the country in March, leaving 1.85 million people in need.
IsraAID’s emergency response team has been on the ground in Mozambique since Idai providing water, sanitation and hygiene, protection, and medical programs to more than 9,500 people.
IsraAID says that the potential impact of Kenneth on the country, already stretched to breaking point by Idai, is huge. The team is working with the government and humanitarian partners to plan the organization’s response to Kenneth.
“Mozambique has never been hit by two storms of this magnitude in the same season. Torrential rains, reaching up to 100 mm per day in some areas, are forecast to continue for the next few days,” says co-CEO Yotam Polizer.
“This could lead to communities already hit by the cyclone suffering a large-scale secondary emergency and may hamper relief efforts. IsraAID’s response will focus on mental health and community resilience, supporting education systems as they get back on their feet, restoring community access to safe water and hygiene promotion.”
IsraAID’s team in Mozambique is continuing its work in the provinces of Sofala and Buzi in the center of the country, which are still in need of urgent assistance, says Polizer.
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