After the devastating tropical cyclone "Idai", President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proclaimed two days of mourning in Zimbabwe. All citizens are expected to remember the dead, Mnangagwa said on television. The mourning days are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

So far, more than 145 bodies have been recovered in the severely affected Chimanimani district in Zimbabwe, near the border with Mozambique, a spokesman for the armed forces said. The number of victims will most likely amount to several hundred, Mnangagwa said.

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Floods in Mozambique: "Ocean inland"

Cyclone "Idai" was hit ashore a week ago by the Indian Ocean near the port city of Beira in Mozambique. The hurricane devastated large parts of several countries. Huge areas are flooded.

In Mozambique, the number of confirmed deaths has risen to 242. In addition, another 15,000 people are in dire need of rescuing, said Environment Minister Celso Correia. The authorities are therefore in contact with the people in the affected regions and provide them with food and medicine. (Read more about the situation on the ground here.)

In Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, helpers say millions of people depend on help:

  • In Mozambique alone, according to the UN World Food Program WFP, 600,000 people are affected by the floods. In total, around 1.7 million people in the state need help.
  • In Zimbabwe , according to WFP figures, 200,000 people are affected by the floods, with more than 900,000 people in total needing help.

The World Health Organization also announced a contingency plan to combat malaria, cholera and typhoid fever. Because of the flight of many people from the disaster areas, the risk for these diseases has increased significantly.