‘Major humanitarian’ crisis after cyclone slams southern Africa
Al JazeeraUN says 2.6 million people affected as rescuers struggle to reach victims trapped on rooftops and trees in remote areas. “This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique’s recent history,” said Jamie LeSueur, who is leading rescue efforts in the hard-hit city of Beira for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. ‘Major humanitarian emergency’ Mozambique’s government said about 600,000 people have been impacted by the storm, but the UN World Food Programme said its analysis of satellite imagery suggested up to 1.7 million people in the country were in Idai’s path. That hospital is also running out of medicine.” Reporting anger and frustration among survivors in the city, she said: “Residents were told to evacuate ahead of the storm but the question for them was where to.” Mozambique’s president says Cyclone Idai may have killed as many as 1,000 people as recovery efforts underway. “We just save what we can save and the others will perish.” Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, reporting from Mozambique’s central Espungabera, said torrential rain continued to lash the region “on and off” on Tuesday.