DEC appeal for Cyclone Idai has raised £41m so far
Howard Lake | 1 August 2019 | News
The Disasters Emergency Committee’s fundraising appeal following Cyclone Idai’s destructive impact has raised £41 million in the four months since the cyclone swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing over 900 people and leaving around 3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
The damage was compounded just weeks later when Cyclone Kenneth followed.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched its emergency appeal on 21 March 2019. Since then, the 14 member charities of the DEC have been working as part of a co-ordinated international response to deliver urgent aid such as food and shelter and to halt the spread of water-borne disease.
The 14 charity members of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Ongoing needs
More funding is needed, and the DEC appeal remains open for donations.
The UN announced in its Response Plan that $441 million is required for Mozambique, of which $282 million is needed for the Cyclone Idai response. Only approximately 40% of the total has been funded, according to the DEC.
Advert promoting the DEC Cyclone Idai appeal – photo: CARE/Josh Estey
At the same time the response has achieved clear successes, not least in the fight against cholera. Following the cyclone there was a high risk of a cholera epidemic in Mozambique, with 6,768 cases and 8 deaths reported from 27 March, but no new cases have been reported since 30 May. The combination of an effective national vaccination programme and hygiene education mobilised by agencies including DEC member charities, has now reduced the risk of cholera to pre-cyclone levels.
The DEC appeal total of £41 million includes £4m through the UK Aid Match.
DEC-funded activities will continue until March 2021.
Advertisement
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.