Residents rebuild in Mozambique thanks to HI aid distributions

Since Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique on 14th of March, residents of Beira’s poorest municipalities have faced an uphill struggle to meet their daily needs - food, water, health care. 

HI coordinated the immediate clean-up efforts in these forgotten communities. It was essential to remove debris created by the storm so that humanitarian organizations could access all areas to deliver aid and to prevent the spread of disease. Over 5 weeks, HI’s logistics unit employed 443 local residents, half of whom were women. They cleared more than 7,300 m³ of debris from Beira’s narrow streets.

Now, these impoverished communities face the daunting task of rebuilding. For people with disabilities, the elderly, single women and other vulnerable people, finding the resources to repair or rebuild their homes is impossible. This is why HI has worked to identify families in need and to provide them with useful items.

2,500 shelter kits are currently being distributed to those most in need. A standard shelter repair kit includes tarpaulin, rope, nails, washers, a hoe, a machete, a saw, a shovel and a hammer.

HI’s Activities in response to cyclone Idai

• Debris removal to provide main road access 
• Debris removal  in 11 barrios of Beira city
• Surveillance and creation of 6 road access maps – shared with all humanitarian actors
• (Ongoing) Distribution of 2,500 shelter repair kits to the most vulnerable residents of 10 barrios in Beira city.
• (Ongoing) Distribution of 3315 essential household item kits to HI’s existing beneficiaries.