Cyclone Idai ravaged the southern African countries of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in the middle of the night on March 15 leaving extensive destruction in its wake. The nations, which are among some of the poorest in the world, continue to grapple with the catastrophic effects of the storm that is believed to have killed more than 750 people and displaced more than 100,000 people. The region is currently facing a developing humanitarian crisis that is only expected to get worse as the devastating flood waters recede.
Hope Relief Mission to Zimbabwe
The Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI), a global non-governmental organization that works to help individuals and establish strong communities around the world, quickly responded to the needs of survivors through the organization of a relief mission. The foundation sponsored a volunteer Hope Relief Mission to deliver aid and supplies to victims of Cyclone Idai. The foundation, founded and led by the magnanimous Christ Embassy Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable and impoverished people through campaigns designed to build strong communities, provide access to high-quality education and health care and to share the inspiring Word of God.
COFI sponsors aid organizations whose work aligns with its mission of extending the love and compassion of God to those in need, such as the Volunteer Medical Corps, an organization that provides medical aid to survivors of natural disasters, refugees and displaced persons, the InnerCity Mission, an organization working to end child poverty, and the Bible for All Mission, a faith-based organization that shares the Word of God to those in desolate circumstances.
The Hope Relief Missionsponsored by COFI delivered relief supplies, clean water and hygiene kits, transported medical teams and provided Bibles with uplifting messages of hope and resilience to the survivors of areas hardest hit by Cyclone Idai. The aid convoy administered assistance to the cities from Mutare to Chimanimani in Zimbabwe. Prior to departing, Pastor Chris’s Christ Embassy Belvedere held a Faith in Action Crusade in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, where over 10,000 people gathered to witness the power of God through healing miracles and pray for the salvation of their souls.
Cyclone Idai: Devastation and Disease
Coastal areas of Mozambique have experienced catastrophic flooding. The extent of the humanitarian crisis only grows as the floodwaters begin to recede. The UN reports that in Mozambique, the country hardest hit, 446 have died (a number that is likely to rise in the coming weeks) and 110,000 people are living in temporary shelters.
The storm has caused major power outages and damage to infrastructure. Washed out roads have left entire cities cut off from supplies and medical services. In Zimbabwe, there are reports that 121,000 people in the Chimanimani district are in need of urgent food aid. Organizations including the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International have funded aid missions to the Chimanimani, delivering truckloads of food to help those that have survived but continue to face unimaginable hardship.