World Relief Responds to Cyclone Idai’s Impact on Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
March 22, 2019
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Lauren Carl
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World Relief Responds to Cyclone Idai’s Impact on Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi
Baltimore, Md. – Cyclone Idai landed in Beira, Mozambique, last Thursday before its severe winds and flooding spread to neighboring countries of Malawi and Zimbabwe. The U.N. estimates the tropical storm has affected more than 2.6 million people across Southeastern Africa, devastating more than 1.7 million people in its path in Mozambique and over 920,000 in neighboring Malawi. Survivors are awaiting aid on rooftops as their homes, roads and power lines are submerged under water or, in some cases, have been completely washed away.
World Relief is responding in Malawi alongside their local partner the Evangelical Association of Malawi, to provide immediate relief assistance to an estimated 9,000 households in the southern region. World Relief is also exploring partnerships with local contacts in Mozambique.
“Our hearts are broken for those who have lost homes and loved ones through the devastation of Cyclone Idai,” said World Relief President Scott Arbeiter. “We plan to support our local partners who are boldly serving the victims of this disaster.”
World Relief CEO Tim Breene commented, “We pray for the millions of victims awaiting hope and rescue from Cyclone Idai and also for the local organizations working on the ground to help these individuals recover and rebuild their lives. We’re grateful for our incredible partners and contacts in these countries that are able to immediately respond to one of the worst weather-related disasters to ever hit the southern hemisphere.”
World Relief’s programs in Malawi, established in 1989, span 10 districts in the central and northern regions of the country. World Relief’s empowerment of churches in these communities has helped care for children and for mothers learning to raise healthy families, prevented the spread of HIV and helped farmers improve the value of their crops and livestock. Their work has helped 4,037,803 individuals over the past 3 years. World Relief began its work in Mozambique in 1994 and currently provides long-term management to the agricultural associations formed by World Relief in Gaza Province. 1,471, 588 individuals and families have benefited from this work between 2015 and 2017.
For more information on World Relief’s disaster relief work and how to help, please visit https://worldrelief.org/cycloneidai.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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About World Relief:
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that seeks to overcome violence, poverty and injustice. Through love in action, we bring hope, healing and restoration to millions of the world’s most vulnerable women, men and children through vital and sustainable programs in disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding, as well as refugee and immigration services in the U.S. For 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and communities, currently across more than 20 countries, to provide relief from suffering and help people rebuild their lives.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.