Cyclone Idai’s death toll surpasses 1,000
The death toll from the tropical cyclone that hit south-west Africa has surpassed 1,000, the United Nations has said.
Cyclone Idai swept through Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi earlier this year, leaving a trail of destruction and displacements.
Mozambique was the most affected by the storm, with 602 people killed and over 1,600 injured.
In Zimbabwe, 344 people were killed and 200 others were injured as the storm swept through the country’s Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.
60 Malawians were also killed in the tropical cyclone, with over 67o injured.
Over 3 million people were affected by the storm, as many people lost their homes and other property to the raging floods.
According to the World Bank, the affected countries will need over $2 billion to recover.
Cyclone Idai was one of the worst tropical cyclones ever to hit Africa and the southern hemisphere.
It formed off the eastern coast of Mozambique in early March and hit the country’s coast a first time before heading back out into the Mozambique Channel.
It intensified, weakened and intensified again before hitting the Mozambique coast for a second time on 14 March.
Winds reached up to 177 km/h (106 mph) and heavy rainfall caused disastrous flooding across a number of countries.