Call: Cyclone Idai in Malawi, Mozambique & Zimbabwe 19-005-RO

The Humanitarian crisis: Between March 5th – 15th, a weather system formed and developed into Cyclone Idai causing flash floods and a humanitarian crisis across Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe affecting more than 1,6 million people. Number of affected people recorded is increasing by the hour as more information becomes available and areas accessible. By 21 March an overall estimate has increased to 2-2.5m people. The following country specific data is from 19 March;

 In Malawi, an estimated 922,900 people have been affected, with 56 deaths and 577 injuries recorded, and more than 125,000 displaced were recorded by 19 March. Source: Crisis Alert PlanBF and ACAPS Malawi update. In Mozambique, an estimated 600,000 people have been affected, 150 people reported dead (including 66 due to flooding before the cyclone impact) and more than 1,500 injured. Prior cyclone-related flooding had already displaced 17,000 people and very likely thousands more were displaced after the cyclone passage. Source: ACAPS Briefing Note on Mozambique. In Zimbabwe, an estimated 15,000 people have been affected, at least 82 people have died, 200 people are injured, thousands are displaced, and many properties, crops and livestock have been damaged and destroyed. More than 200 people are still missing. Due to the deepened economic, food insecurity and ongoing governance crisis experienced in Zimbabwe, the Government is poorly prepared to respond to this new crisis hitting communities already severely under stress.

According to the data reviewed, forecasting for all three countries is that continuing heavy rain increase the risk of additional flooding, disease outbreak in particular waterborne diseases, deepened food insecurity and rise in death toll. Prioritizing Particular Vulnerable Groups: DERF grants must demonstrate targeted actions to identify and provide assistance relevant to the needs of the most vulnerable persons within the crisis-affected communities. This includes women and girls facing heightened risk of sexual and gender based violence, displaced persons, and, households headed by females, children and/or persons with chronic illness or disabilities.

Funding Situation: Information on financing of responses across the three countries and identification of funding gaps is currently challenged by needs assessments still being finalized. The different sources of data reviewed do include information on some financial commitments being made at the moment. Due to the rather high number of affected people in need of humanitarian assistance, the limited response capacities of the countries affected, and the financing gap already evident in responding to humanitarian crisis in countries such as Zimbabwe, it is assumed that there will also remain a significant financial gap in responding to the current crisis. Potential DERF grant-holders will be tasked to ensure that DERF funding contributes to coordinated and complementary humanitarian assistance to the affected communities.

Prioritized Emergency Actions: Life-saving packages as per prioritized needs reflected in newest available needs assessments at the time of developing specific intervention proposals.

Humanitarian Access: Some of the affected areas are currently hard-to-reach due to infrastructural damages.