Cyclone Idai causes loss of life and widespread destruction across Zimbabwe
On March 14th, Cyclone Idai devastated two regions in Zimbabwe when it made landfall in neighbouring Mozambique. Flooding in the country has caused loss of life and displacement. At last report, 334 people are confirmed dead, with 200 injured and 257 missing. Infrastructure, including roads, schools, and clinics have been severely damaged. The well-being of approximately 129,000 children in Zimbabwe is at stake.
Donate now to help vulnerable children and their families affected by this crisis with life-saving essentials like food, hygiene kits and more. Your gift will also help establish safe spaces for children to meet their physical and emotional needs during this crisis.
While no Canadian sponsor-supported communities in Zimbabwe have been directly affected, World Vision is on the ground providing immediate assistance, distributing food and hygiene kits to those in need. Specifically, these have to date included, but are not limited to, providing just over 1,000 households with food packages, kitchen kits, shelter equipment and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) equipment.
Disasters of this magnitude are especially frightening and traumatic for children. World Vision is working to protect both their physical and psychosocial needs, and child-friendly spaces have been provided in the area of Chimanimani with other areas to follow.
Children are currently at-risk of hunger, injury and death from the devastating floods. We are working with local communities to provide supplies to those impacted. We are also leveraging partnerships with various UN agencies, communities, donors and faith- and community-based organizations to respond to the crisis.
For more information, please call us at
1-800-654-2650.
Zimbabwe continues to face extremely high unemployment rates, with a resulting 72 per cent of the population living in poverty. Families often run out of food between harvests and one-third of children are stunted due to malnutrition.
We distribute food to families, support school feeding programs and train health workers to screen children for malnutrition. We equip farmers to grow drought-tolerant grains and use water-conserving farming methods. A contributing factor to food insecurity is high rates of HIV, with 570,000 children in Zimbabwe having lost one or both parents to the virus. We work with communities to stop the spread of HIV and care for orphaned children.