Cyclone Idai Appeal Media Briefing

Today (3 April) marks the end of the two-week intensive nationwide fundraising drive by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and its 14 member charities to help survivors of the devastating cyclone that swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe in mid-March.

Thanks to the generosity of the UK public as well as support from media outlets, corporate partners and institutional donors, £27 million has been raised over this period. The amount includes £4 million matched by the UK Government. The DEC appeal will remain open for a further six months, and the public can continue to donate at dec.org.uk.

Content and spokespeople available
We have images, B-roll, case studies and spokespeople available to media outlets to illustrate the aid delivery effort and to thank UK audiences for their generous support. In particular:

• Our multimedia article ‘After the Storm’ - http://bit.ly/DECAfterTheStorm - tells the story of the cyclone and its aftermath, including rescue footage, satellite imagery, individual accounts and aid in action. You are welcome to share it with your audiences in articles and on your social media channels.
• Our interactive map shows the timeline of how the disaster unfolded and can be embedded on websites: http://bit.ly/IdaiMapDEC
• A picture gallery with a selection of the best images from the DEC and its members showing the devastation and the people affected can be found here.
• A B-roll package of aid delivery including supplies leaving the Oxfam warehouse in Bicester and cholera prevention work in Mozambique can be found here and the log-sheet is here.
• Spokespeople: DEC and member spokespeople both in the UK and the affected countries are available for interview, to both update on the situation and thank UK audiences.

Current situation
Flood waters are receding, but cyclone survivors are facing the secondary threat of disease. DEC members are rushing to deliver clean water, toilets and handwashing facilities to prevent cholera as the number of cases is reported to have risen to 1,428 in Mozambique.

Work to clear debris, reopen roads and reconnect electricity and water supplies has started. Some people who fled their homes as flood waters rose are returning home and aid is getting through. However, the full impact of the disaster has yet to be established and difficulties in reaching some areas continue.

Cyclone Idai swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe in the middle of March (15 March 2019), killing more than 750 people and leaving almost 3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance as strong winds and widespread flooding ripped apart roads, bridges, houses, schools and health facilities and submerged vast swathes of agricultural land.

How donations are being used
DEC member charities are working closely with national partners to support government-led relief efforts. The immediate and primary focus of the relief effort is to save lives and provide temporary shelter and blankets to people who lost their homes. Other priorities are the provision of clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, food such as pulses and maize flour for sustenance, and medical assistance for those who have been injured or are ill.

How the DEC works
The DEC is a long-standing coalition of 14 leading aid agencies which come together only at times of the greatest humanitarian need to raise funds collectively from the UK public. When a DEC appeal is launched, member aid agencies work together for a two-week period of collective action which starts on the day appeals are broadcast on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. Most funds are raised during this two-week period, but the appeal remains open for six months. DEC members are allocated an initial large tranche (around 80%) of the estimated money raised to fund emergency relief work during the first six months following the disaster, then smaller tranches over a longer period (usually 18 months) to continue relief efforts whilst also funding recovery, reconstruction and resilience work.

For more information

• To request a spokesperson or for any further information about the content we have available, please call  020 7387 0200, 020 7255 9111 or 07930 999 014 (out of hours) or email ssansom@dec.org.uk or npeckett@dec.org.uk.
• More information about the disaster, the issues facing those affected and how DEC members are responding can be found here.
• If you would like to receive updates (2-3 times per year) on how DEC appeal funds are being used please let me know at npeckett@dec.org.uk.

Thank you again for your support.