The violent cyclone which struck Malawi and Mozambique is probably the biggest natural disaster those countries ever faced. In some cities, even the most solid buildings have collapsed, such as the great Church of Macuti, the largest in the city.

A more precise death toll and the true scale of the damage is not likely to be known soon, as many areas are cut off. Thanks to members of Sant’Egidio in Malawi and Mozambique we received images and updates. The situation is terrible. The scale of devastation is enormous. The poorest seemed to be the hardest hit. Thousands of people have lost they homes, many children have been dragged away by water and are now missing.

The city of Beira in Mozambique is devastated. Both Sant’Egidio DREAM and NUTRITIONAL CENTRES were seriously damaged from Tropical Cyclone Idai. Nevertheless, the strong brick walls withstood the fury of the wind and the water and offered shelter to more than 400 poor people living the area in houses made of reeds. Sadly, we do know now of many elderly and children who had no time to take shelter in the center and have lost their lives.

Volunteers of Sant’Egidio in Malawi and Mozambique, despite having been hit by the cyclone themselves, are currently working hard to offer relief by delivering food, clothes, blankets, medicines to the population.

Please, donate now. Every little helps