How to Help Cyclone Victims in Africa

Two million people or more have been affected by Cyclone Idai, which has has triggered massive floods in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Nearly 1,000 people have died, and the toll is rising daily. Uncounted thousands have been lost homeless, others have lost the crops and farm animals.

You can help by donating to one of the international and local African relief agencies supplying food, water, shelter, sanitation faciilities and medical care.

The storm – one of the largest in history – has nearly obliterated Mozambique’s fourth largest city, devastating 90 percent of Beira, and continued heavy rains are making matters worse, including complicating complicate relief efforts.

These groups are recommended.

how to help victims of africa cyclone — Image courtesy NDTV

Where to Donate to Help Cyclone Victims

International groups:

Doctors Without Borders is working to provide medical support and water sanitation in Mozambique, ZImbabwe and Malawi. You can make a general donation to their efforts here.

Oxfam is assisting with sanitation, health and hygiene, including the distribution of water purification tablets and hygiene kits. The organization also plans an analysis of the way the disaster affects women and girls. You can donate here.

International Medical Corps has been in Zimbabwe since 2009, and they have deployed a response team in Southeastern Africa that is working to access the most devastated areas.

CARE, a nonprofit that focuses on women and girls, is providing seeds and livestock. They are also working with other aid organizations to give out tools for water purification, as well as hygiene products and emergency latrines.

Save the Children is working closely with the Mozambique government and other aid organizations to support children impacted by the disaster. An aerial assessment shows that major flooding is imminent in the town of Buzi, home to approximately 2,500 children.

Catholic Relief Services is the international agency of the Catholic Church in the United States. Working with local partners in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, Catholic Relief Services are working to provide an initial 4,000 families with immediate aid – food, emergency shelter, water and living supplies.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, is accepting donations for Mozambique relief efforts.

Worldvision, a global Christian organization, is responding to affected areas in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, providing food, water and sanitation supplies. They have also provided household supplies to 3,000 families in Mozambique so far.

Mercy Corps is distributing hygiene kits, which include ater purification tablets, soap, buckets with taps, jerrycans, gloves, hygiene promotion and education material.

United Nations groups:

The UN’s International Disaster Relief System fund would support efforts to provide aid to more than 400,000 people. UNICEF is also on the ground helping children and families. You can make tax-deductible donation to their relief fund here. USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, also has its own donation page.

The United Nations World Food Programme is distributing food in the city of Beira and surrounding areas, and will stay on the ground to aid recovery as the flooding dwindles. To support their mission, donate here.

Local groups:

Humanity & Inclusion have been working in Mozambique since 1986, helping disable landmines and tackling other issues stemming from the country’s 25-year civil war. The organization has 40 people working on the ground in Mozambique, helping clear roads and giving special attention to people with disabilities. You can read more about their work and donate here.

The Association for the Children of Mozambique is a Mozambique-based charity founded by Swiss national Barbara Hoffman.The organization provides support to orphans and runs schools in the country.

Joint Aid Management (JAM) is an African-founded organization working and operating in Angola, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

Gift of the Givers is an African disaster relief organization that is leading flood response in Malawi. You can contribute to their efforts here.

These charities are all approved as legitimate by ecoXplorer’s go-to charity monitoring agency, Charity Navigator.

Always check the reputation of a charity before you donate your hard-earned money.

This article is adapted from one published by PBS with additional research by ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter.