Oxfam issues urgent appeal to help 775,000 affected by Cyclone Idai

Families in Malawi report losing their homes and all source of income

Friday 22nd March 2019

Oxfam and partners on the ground in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are urgently supporting families who have lost everything, including their food, shelter and only source of income as a result of Cyclone Idai.

With an estimated 2.6 million people affected after a cyclone, heavy rains and severe flooding devastated the southern African region, Oxfam is scaling up their response. They aim to reach 775,000 and have launched an appeal to meet the immediate needs of those affected by the disaster.

Daud Kayisi, Oxfam’s Communications Coordinator in Malawi, has been meeting with people in the Phalombe district, one of the worst affected areas in the country.

David said: “I spoke with a couple in Phalombe, Agnes and Alfred, who told me that their house has been entirely washed away. Now they have nothing. They don’t even have enough plastic sheeting to build a shelter where their home once was.

“In another village, Maria and her six-year-old daughter Grace told me about what happened when the water started rising. They thought that it would go away but it didn’t, and Maria’s house was washed away along with their livestock leaving them with no food, no clothing, no animals and no home.

“Maria used to keep 26 chickens and four goats to provide food for her family but to also cover the cost of her children’s education. This family and hundreds of thousands of others are now trying to survive but without any food, shelter or livelihoods.”

Oxfam Ireland’s Chief Executive Jim Clarken said: “People are not only trying to survive after essentials like food and shelter were washed away but they are also facing into rebuilding their lives from nothing – our teams on the ground are meeting people who have lost everything, including their livelihoods and sole source of income after the devastation of Cyclone Idai.

“We’re there and responding to immediate needs first. One priority is to distribute water purification kits and hygiene supplies to stop the spread of deadly disease – we’re extremely concerned about the overwhelming amount of water that has collected on land which makes it difficult to ensure safe sanitation.

“We will be providing essential aid, including shelter packs and ready-to-eat food to 525,000 people in Mozambique, 200,000 in Malawi and 50,000 in Zimbabwe.

“We’re urgently appealing to the public to be generous by donating at oxfamireland.org, or in any of our local shops. Every single donation will go a long way to providing vulnerable people with life-saving support. Thank you.”

To donate to Oxfam Ireland’s Cyclone Idai Appeal, visit: https://www.oxfamireland.org/cyclone-idai

ENDS

CONTACT:

Spokespeople are available in the region and in Ireland.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Alice Dawson-Lyons – alice.dawsonlyons@oxfam.org / +353 (0) 83 198 1869

Notes to the editor:

Please see a selection of multi-media content here: https://oxfam.box.com/s/8o75oqt78l22v3qxlhoq1p8pr48tb62o (Please credit: Oxfam)