GOAL monitoring impact of Cyclone Kenneth in Northern Mozambique - GOAL Global Skip to content

GOAL monitoring impact of Cyclone Kenneth in Northern Mozambique

 

April 26, 2019 • 1 min read

Reports indicate Zimbabwe and Malawi are under no immediate threat.

"Just six weeks on from the catastrophic Cyclone Idai, Mozambique is once again facing severe weather as Cyclone Kenneth touches ground."

The GOAL team is closely monitoring the impact of Cyclone Kenneth which has battered northern Mozambique forcing the evacuation of 30,000 people from high risk areas.

GOAL emergency response teams have been on the ground in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi following the catastrophic damage caused last month by Cyclone Idai, one of the worst storms ever to hit the southern hemisphere claiming over 1,000 lives.

GOAL Head of Programmes, Fiona Gannon, said today that the team in Mozambique is closely monitoring the impact of Cyclone Kenneth. She said weather reports indicate high winds, with damage to homes and a high likelihood of flooding, while the airport has been closed:
“We are assessing the situation and are on standby to respond.”

Meanwhile reports from Zimbabwe and Malawi indicate no serious threat from the latest Cyclone. GOAL has warned of a potential food crisis in the region due to the failure of thousands of hectares of crop harvest following Cyclone Idai. Millions of people are still in urgent need of humanitarian support, including shelter, clean water and food. GOAL has been responding by distributing aid to affected communities.

Harvest failure has raised fears of severe food insecurity in the coming months with emphasis on distributing seeds and tools. There is also concern for the health of those who have been displaced with a threat of water-borne diseases due to overcrowding in shelters, lack of hygiene, and contaminated water.

GOAL teams in the affected countries include a humanitarian advisor and secondments from other GOAL countries.