At least 84 people have died following Cyclone Idai’s landfall, and the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, has said that he believes the death toll could be higher than 1,000 people, according to media reports.
At least 267 classrooms and 24 health units have reportedly been affected in the provinces of Sofala, Manica, Zambezia and Inhambane, according to authorities. Many areas remain without power and almost every network has been damaged.
Beira City has suffered extensive damage, according to reports from preliminary assessments and aerial overviews.
Beira City remains cut-off from surrounding areas, with the N6 national road between Tica and Nhamatanda (85 kilometres from Beira) now impassable.
Response and search and rescue efforts are underway in multiple areas.
However, significant response challenges remain. The scale and scope of flooding has made multiple key roads impassable, meaning that road convoys are not able to reach Beira at this time.
Many trucks are therefore stuck on the road and unable to reach their intended destinations. There are also challenges flying sufficient relief supplies into Beira and surrounding areas due to the limited number of air assets currently available for the operation.