U.S. Government delivers more than 700 Metric Tons of Humanitarian Assistance to Mozambicans impacted by Cyclone Idai

The amount of humanitarian supplies delivered to Mozambique by the U.S. Government has surpassed 700 metric tons.  This includes eight commercial flights chartered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to deliver relief supplies from U.S. Government warehouses in Pisa, Italy and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and eight U.S. military airlifts of USAID food from their warehouses in Djibouti.

The supplies have included:

• Plastic sheeting to meet the emergency shelter needs of more than 100,000 people;
• Water-treatment units to purify, store, and distribute safe drinking water; each unit can meet the daily water requirement of 10,000 people;
• Water-storage containers, including 25,000 buckets with built-in taps and lids and jerry cans to help people collect & store safe drinking water;
• Kitchen sets, which include pots, bowls, plates, cups, and utensils;
• Latrines to help improve sanitary conditions and help prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera;
• Wool blankets to help keep people warm and dry; and
• Enough food to feed 100,000 people for one month.

On March 20, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to coordinate the U.S. government’s response efforts.  This team of elite disaster experts has been closely coordinating with the Mozambican Government, the United Nations, and nongovernmental organizations to rapidly distribute aid to affected communities in Mozambique.

In addition, the U.S. Government, in coordination with the Mozambican Ministry of Health and National Institute of Health, is focused on controlling and preventing diseases most likely to impact the affected areas, in particular cholera and malaria.  From economic growth to democracy to HIV/AIDS control and prevention, the United States has supported tremendous progress in the affected areas over the past two decades, and we are committed to safeguarding that progress for the Mozambican People.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Mozambique.