Switzerland extends aid to disaster areas in south-east Africa

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Swiss Humanitarian Aid is dispatching further experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) to the areas of Mozambique affected by Cyclone Idai. Their main focus will be on restoring the drinking water supply.

Swiss Humanitarian Aid, part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), will dispatch another team of five SHA members to Mozambique in the coming days. The team consists mainly of water experts and logisticians and will reinforce the team of SHA experts who have been working in Mozambique since the beginning of the week.

So far, twelve tonnes of relief goods have been transported to the disaster area with the first unit. These supplies consist mainly of materials and tools for building shelters. The new consignment to the region will primarily consist of materials and equipment for restoring drinking water supplies, e.g. for cleaning wells.

In addition, Switzerland is making two to four SHA members available to UN agencies responding on the ground to the flood disaster. Swiss Humanitarian Aid is providing a total of CHF 2 million to cope with the ensuing hardship in south-east Africa. Half of this will be used for Swiss Humanitarian Aid's own actions. The other half will be disbursed to UN agencies fighting the catastrophic flooding in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Federal Council, Switzerland.