Mozambique: Cholera cases reported in cyclone-hit areas

A week after a devastating cyclone in Mozambique’s port city of Beira, the head of a South African rescue operation on Friday said the situation in the port city of Beira was “boiling” as residents suffered shortages of food, water and other essentials.

According to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in a statement, cases of cholera have also been reported in the area.

“There is growing concern among aid groups on the ground of potential disease outbreaks. Already, some cholera cases have been reported in Beira along with an increasing number of malaria infections among people trapped by the flooding,” the statement said.

Video footage showed the scale of catastrophic flooding in the region, which was battered with strong winds and torrential rains by Cyclone Idai.

As survivors gathered in informal camps and health officials warned of the danger of cholera and other diseases, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said the situation on the ground was critical with no electricity or running water.

Some 1.7 million people have been affected across Sourther Africa with no electricity or running water and their homes have been swept away and roads destroyed.

Mozambique: Cholera, malaria cases reported in cyclone-hit Beira https://t.co/VyhmlKwD8o“

— Ghana Guardian (@ghanaguardian1) March 23, 2019

The storm has so far killed 557 people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, however, the death is expected to rise.