Cut off by flood damage, residents of Buzi in Mozambique remain in desperate need of supplies before they can turn to rebuild their lives.
For miles around, towns and villages have been left in ruins after Cyclone Idai caused the River Buzi to burst its banks, leading to unprecedented flooding. Residents are returning, only to find there is little left of their homes and possessions.
Schools are closed until further notice. Hospitals and health clinics are barely functional. Electricity wires lie in the mud, next to discarded flip flops and plastic waste.
Nearly three weeks after Idai’s rampage, Buzi remains cut off from the nearest major town, Beira, as the roads have either been washed away or are covered in debris. Helicopters fly in life-saving aid, but they can only carry so much, and the needs vastly outstrip what humanitarian organizations are able to deliver.
Last week, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, airlifted some 80 tonnes of life-saving aid to Mozambique, including shelters, blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps and plastic sheeting to help around 10,000 of the most vulnerable survivors get back on their feet. Distributions are ongoing, and the staff is ensuring the most vulnerable survivors are living in safety.
Meanwhile, amid widespread shortages, the price of food has rocketed. It will be some time before commercial supply chains can be restored and shops can properly restock. Rice now sells in Buzi for up to five times as much as it did just three weeks ago. The cyclone hit at the end of the growing season, destroying some 711,000 hectares of crops and leaving farmers with no money to buy new seeds. There is now a real risk of famine in a country that already had one of the world’s worst rates of child malnutrition.
People are anxious for what the future holds. Some have decided to leave Buzi, fearful that this will not be the last time the town sees extreme weather. In total, around 150,000 people are living in displacement sites in Mozambique, either unwilling or unable to return home.
Original source: UNHCR
Published on 03 April 2019
