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After the Storm, a Fight for Survival in Mozambique

Idai was the deadliest cyclone to hit southern Africa in over a century. Augusto Brás and his wife, Amélia, lost their home and their son in the flooding. Now, with their crops ruined and the next big harvest a year away, staying alive is a daily struggle.

Augusto Brás used to grow maize and rice here. It was just enough to feed his family, until a cyclone struck his village in mid-March. It came just before the annual harvest, destroying his home and his crops. Reporter: “Oh, I see. So, on the inside this is rotten. Oh, I see.” But the real tragedy for Augusto and for his wife, Amélia, was losing their 8-year-old son, Francisco. Francisco was swept away and drowned. What saved them was climbing up a tree like this one. And they stayed there for three days, clinging onto the branches. Reporter: “When the water came, how high did it go? Can you show us?” Idai was the deadliest cyclone to hit southern Africa in over a century. It brought torrential rain that flooded entire towns and ruined vast stretches of farmland. In Mozambique, at least 600 people were killed, and many more could be missing. The people here were already some of the poorest in the world, and the little they had is gone. Now, most of the flooding has receded, but the crisis is far from over. So, we came here weeks after the storm to understand its lasting impact. With crops wiped out, millions are struggling to feed themselves and to rebuild, and are now entirely reliant on aid. In Buzi, one of the most-affected areas, we meet up again with Amélia. She’s with her neighbor Ester, whose daughter Laucina is sick. Reporter: “But what’s the baby sick with?” Ester is worried these symptoms might be a sign of cholera. Following the storm, cholera became one of the most urgent concerns. In a matter of days, the number of recorded cases went from three to 3,000. But a mass vaccination campaign has helped stop it from spreading. Ester wants to have her daughter examined, but she can’t go to the main hospital. It’s been wrecked by the cyclone. So, they head to an emergency treatment center run by Doctors Without Borders. The doctors don’t think Laucina has cholera or malaria. In fact, it looks like what she needs is food. Vital aid is arriving in Mozambique, provided by dozens of relief agencies that have taken over the town of Buzi, like this evangelical group. Singing: “Thank you, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, thank you, Jesus, from my heart.” “Let’s do it in Arabic, guys.” [Singing] They’ve set up a new clinic here that includes a full operating theater. “Please, please, please always consider malaria a problem.” Just down the road, this Muslim charity is handing out roofing materials. Reporter: “Is Al-Imdaad a South African organization, or is it part of an international one?” “It’s a proud South African organization.” Everywhere we go, the effort to bring the town back to life is underway. We catch up with Ester and Amélia after their visit to the clinic. They’re carrying bags of aid — maize flour — to take back home. After making it across the river, it’s an hour-and-a-half journey on foot. But that’s what they have to do to keep the family fed. There’s enough aid, for now, while funds last. But the next big harvest is one year away, and they’re going to need a lot of help to survive until then.

The Dispatch

On-the-Ground Video Dispatches

After the Storm, a Fight for Survival in Mozambique

By Declan Walsh, Neil Collier and Orlando De Guzman April 20, 2019

Idai was the deadliest cyclone to hit southern Africa in over a century. Augusto Brás and his wife, Amélia, lost their home and their son in the flooding. Now, with their crops ruined and the next big harvest a year away, staying alive is a daily struggle.

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