The tropical cyclone "Idai" has left behind rains and several floods that have affected more than one million people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The tropical cyclone, which has caused torrential rains and strong winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour, landed last Thursday in the port of Beira, the fourth largest city in Mozambique, leaving no electricity and no lines of communication to more than 500,000 people. During the weekend the cyclone moved to Malawi and Zimbabwe, leaving also a trail of destruction in its wake.

Although the total impact of the cyclone is still unknown, there are areas that still remain inaccessible. According to initial assessments, the cyclone has left destroyed schools and health centers in its wake and has left the water and sanitation infrastructures damaged. In many affected communities, they do not have access to clean water sources, which increases the risk of waterborne diseases. Given this situation, the risks, especially for women and children in terms of protection, increase.

In Mozambique, where the impact has been the greatest, there are 1.8 million people affected, including around 900,000 children. In the urban areas and even in the Beira hospital, the electricity has been restored although it is still very difficult to respond to the needs of the population. Initial estimates suggest that there are more than 2,600 classrooms that have been destroyed, 39 damaged health centers and at least 11,000 houses are totally demolished.

UNICEF - Emergencia ciclón Idai (web)

UNICEF, together with its partners, wants to:

• Reunify children with their families: identify children who have been separated from their families or who are not accompanied.
• Protection and psychosocial support
• Education: enable temporary schools and distribute education material
• Nutrition: prevent the increase of malnutrition and evaluate the food situation of childhood
• Drinking water and sanitation: distribute drinking water and ensure adequate sanitation to prevent diseases

• Water and sanitation: we are distributing 500 family hygiene kits, which include items such as soap, feminine hygiene items, buckets to conserve water that will cover the needs of some 20,000 people.
• Nutrition: we are distributing nutritional supplies to cover the needs of 5,000 children with acute malnutrition.
• Education: Initial estimates suggest that there are 331 damaged classrooms, which may affect 17,490 students. We are distributing 15,749 learning kits, 50 schools in a suitcase, and other supplies with educational materials.
• Protection: For UNICEF, it remains a priority to reunite children with their families and to provide safe space and psychosocial support to affected children. On the other hand, measures are being taken to prevent cases of violence, abuse and mistreatment of children in the midst of the chaos generated by the disaster.

The 900,000 affected children in Mozambique, along with their families.