Convoy Responds as Cyclone Kenneth Strikes Mozambique
May 2, 2019 | 4:30 p.m.
PEMBA, MOZAMBIQUE — Hundreds of children with their bowls and spoons in hand, crowded around a massive truck in Pemba, Mozambique, today.
The truck carried thousands of pounds of rice, beans, cooking oil, and other relief supplies. They would have to wait a few hours before the food was ready, but that didn’t dampen their spirits. They laughed and played, and the older boys hauled bag after bag of food to a store room.
Nine hundred individuals live at this particular shelter. Most of their homes and belongings were washed away by Cyclone Kenneth. As the celebration continued, mothers could be seen breathing a sigh of relief. Their children would eat tonight.
In past days, the church received more than 200 pounds of aid, but it all disappeared quickly. Since that small amount of food was delivered just a few days after the storm, hunger and worry have weighed heavy on those living at the church.
With your help, Convoy of Hope eased their burden and filled the bellies of hundreds of people who will sleep tonight with full stomachs.
May 1, 2019 | 6 p.m.
PEMBA, MOZAMBIQUE — Members of the Convoy of Hope team flew into Mozambique as the final bands of Cyclone Kenneth lashed the country’s northern coast. Torrential rain continues to batter the province of Cabo Delgado, and hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to find food and shelter.
There’s no end in sight for the downpour; it’s projected to rain heavily for another week. With the ground already saturated, streets are flooded across the city of Pemba. Everywhere along the streets, children are shoveling sand and dirt out of roadside ditches to release the water that has pooled around their homes.
“The storm was violent,” said Cornielo Queveca, a local pastor who is housing 12 additional people in his home. Most people whose homes are still standing have taken in neighbors. In one community north of Pemba, an estimated 90% of homes in a city of 100,000 residents were destroyed.
Despite the bleak situation in Pemba, the city is also where Convoy of Hope team members and partners have purchased rice, beans, oil, salt, charcoal, and other relief supplies. More than 105,000 meals were purchased today and, if all goes to plan, will be distributed tomorrow. More than the coming days, Convoy of Hope will be purchasing and distributing more food, setting up water filtration systems, and exploring ways to reach out to outlying communities that have been cut off by floodwaters.
Due to a security risks, our team is limited in their ability to reach some areas of the country directly. They will be relying on local leaders as they search for solutions in these communities.
April 25, 2019 | 4:15 p.m.
Convoy of Hope is deploying a team to northern Mozambique in anticipation of damage caused by Cyclone Kenneth. Currently, Cyclone Kenneth is a Category 4 storm and made landfall along the northern coast of the country.
Storm surge is projected to reach between 10-16 feet, and more than 40 inches of rain could fall in some places. It’s very likely that many people will be unable to evacuate areas currently at risk.
Convoy of Hope and its network of partners throughout Mozambique are rapidly organizing a response. Partners on the ground are preparing to distribute food, water filtration systems, solar lights, and other relief supplies to affected individuals.
The storm’s current path is projected to cause major damage to populated areas. This includes the city of Pemba and the Quirimbas, a string of low-lying islands. As the storm slows over land, rain could continue to fall for the next 36-72 hours.
Less than a month ago, Cyclone Idai struck the southern coast of Mozambique. The storm brought intense flooding to the area and caused extensive damage in the countries of Malawi and Zimbabwe, as well. More than 1,000 people lost their lives.
