The damage due to cyclone Idai was felt beyond Mozambique. According to Chatiza (2019), when cyclone Idai struck Zimbabwe in March 2019, it affected about 270,000 people, causing 340 deaths and displacing 51,000 others. Infrastructure such as roads and bridges was damaged in the country’s Chimanimani and Chipinge areas.
A network of about 1,500 km of roads was made unusable. Lives were affected as 140 schools were either damaged or made inaccessible. Homes were lost, while health facilities such as clinics were also damaged. As much as homes were damaged, toilets and deep wells for clean water were also damaged, thus reversing gains made in the rural areas towards improved sanitation and safe drinking water services. Water sources were contaminated as a result of the floods and overflow of toilets and sewerage systems. The affected 270,000 people were exposed to water-borne and water-based diseases, including diarrhea.
Year: 2020
From collection: Sanitation and Wastewater Atlas of Africa - Human Health
Cartographer:
GRID-Arendal
Tags:
Africa
sanitation
wastewater