Cyclone Idai

As most people know, Cyclone Idai hit central Mozambique recently.

The main bit of the cyclone is about 2/3 the size of the UK

Strangely enough this was the storms second pass. The first time (the blue dots below) as a tropical depression, it caused a lot of flooding in Malawi and caught Paul at the end of his week with YWAM team in Marromeu on the Zambezi (see previous blog post).

The second time was far more destructive and has been described as the worst weather disaster to affect the southern hemisphere. The photos of the devastation and flooding were widely seen on TV and the internet.

People spent many days on rooftops...

..and in trees

An inland sea was created of 2000sq kilometers and about 1.7 million people were affected across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Mercy Air already had a helicopter in Beira and we went up the day before the storm to move it inland to a less risky place.

This meant that it was the first on the scene after the storm had cleared. It worked tirelessly every day helping to locate and rescue people totally cut off and without food and water.

Mercy Air's fixed wing aircraft got involved by flying relief supplies up from South Africa as well as enabling heli crew rotation. Our second heli joined a week later. Our office soon took on the semblance of a warehouse.

One company, Universal, donated 2.5 tonnes of a nutritional food supplement which we were able to deliver to various locations with our Quest Kodiak.

The Cessna 310 was used for smaller loads and crew supplies.

Supplies for the YWAM team and the orphanage in Beira

It seemed to take a while, but eventually we began to see the international aid community pitch up with some serious heavy metal. The usually quiet airport in Beira has turned into something of a plane spotters paradise.

The Royal Air Force with an A400M

A ridiculously big (and noisy) Antonov 124.

That's a slim looking Boeing 747 cargo in the background

Paul talked his way onto a USAF Hercules and an Antonov 12 - very Russian and quite scary!

Much of the water has receded now and the initial rescue operation has moved into a relief mode. The need for flying is still as great as ever and the battle is now as much with malaria and cholera as it is with hunger and shelter. Food and non food items are being airlifted daily.

Cathy and I will go up again this week to take food supplements and then again next week to work in a field hospital set up near the recently cleared Buzi airstrip in one of the worst affected areas.

Thank you

Paul and Cathy