Whilst we enjoy bringing you news of the positive impacts and developments of our Mozambique projects and the incredible work of our partners, Village Water and WATSAN, today we bring an update from the field at a more challenging time for the region. As always, our partners have been quick and effective in their response.
Last week cyclone Eloise struck the port city of Beira, before moving inland to directly impact our project areas. In less than 24 hours, over 10 inches of rain was recorded in some places. The effects were unsurprisingly disastrous for some communities. Severe flooding and strong winds have left thousands without their homes. NASA’s Earth Observatory images here give a stark picture of the scale of the affected areas.
Until now, Village Water and WATSAN have confirmed 13 boreholes have been damaged. An ongoing challenge has been the conditions hampering their ability to reach areas safely, to assess damage and provide vital support. The impact of the cyclone, coupled with the ongoing rainy season, have made many roads dangerous or impassable by car. Though, with support, they are making every effort to adapt to these challenges.
It is less than two years since Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction in the region, in what the UN then described as the worst disaster to impact the southern hemisphere. It is clear than these events have become more common as a result of climate change and the need to accelerate carbon emissions reductions globally could not be greater. We will keep you updated on the situation in Mozambique, but in the meantime please do take a look at our partners’ response below.
You can read more on how Village Water are responding in the wake of cyclone Eloise, below: