A cyclone disintegrated entire roads here. A Nampa nonprofit helps reach marooned areas
As flood waters from Cyclone Idai in Mozambique wash away roadways, pilots from a Nampa-based nonprofit are helping aid workers reach communities marooned in the murky waters.
The Mission Aviation Fellowship pilots, who train in Idaho’s mountain and desert landscapes, are working with Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management and other nongovernment organizations to coordinate relief efforts in some of the country’s worst-hit areas.
“We saw many people stranded on roof tops surrounded by kilometers of water, “ said MAF pilot Rick Emenaker in a statement. “It was difficult to comprehend and think about that probably many have perished.”
The cyclone hit Mozambique on March 14. Winds over 100 miles per hour flattened homes and left some underwater. The storm also destroyed water sanitation systems, raising concerns among aid workers that waterborne diseases could spread more easily.
As of Wednesday, the death toll stood at more than 200 in Mozambique, according to the Associated Press. Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi said the fatalities could increase to 1,000. Aid organizations are calling it southern Africa’s worst flooding in 20 years.
MAF pilots are helping to survey the area from above and share their information with other aid organizations as they plan out how to reach isolated areas, according to a news release. They are also delivering food provided by the World Food Program to areas cut off completely by flooding.
Here are some photos provided by MAF:
The organization is also providing flights to aid workers and government agencies in the Congo as they fight an ebola outbreak there.
