According to the UN, the cyclone, which hit the country on March 14, affected more than two million people and 260,000 children. The death toll is estimated to rise to more than 1,000 people. The government of Mozambique has declared a national emergency and it is estimated that rising flood waters will place further 350,000 people at risk.
A Safe Port: SOS Children’s Village in Beira, Mozambique
SOS Children’s Village Beira is one of the many villages that have been supported through our global partnership since 2016. The partnership focuses on emergency preparedness and youth employability and is designed to promote the safety and development of children and young people from different backgrounds.
Through our Emergency Preparedness Program Allianz contributes risk management expertise, to help turn SOS Children's Villages into safe ports of call for local communities in the event of a catastrophe. This has benefitted the children living in the village who are now safe, but are traumatised. One of the 10 pilot countries the program was implemented in was Beira, Mozambique. This early response system helped buffer the catastrophic impacts of the cyclone which devastated the region last month and is actively providing relief to the region. Sadly, the majority of the village workers lost their families and assets. SOS is providing psychological and peer support to them.
“Houses have been destroyed in Beira. People have died and the hospitals are really full. The situation is awful, it is difficult even to describe. Beira is isolated, there is no ground transportation from other parts of the country. The only way to get here is by plane. We really need to get supplies of food, that is a major need now,” said SOS Children’s Village Mozambique National Programs Director, Ailton Muchave.
Not only we are supporting the catastrophe with our funds but also we are dedicating this year’s Allianz World Run to “Emergency Response in Forgotten Crises”. For all around the world, SOS Children’s Villages have gone through major catastrophes and are waiting for continuous support. So put your best foot forward from May 13th and help support SOS Children’s Villages. If you’d like to contribute individually, you can also make a donation to the organization through their website.
