woman Ebel, about two weeks ago, the city of Beira has been made in Mozambique by the cyclone “Idai”. There were devastating Floods. How’s it look up there at the Moment?
The city is extremely devastated. Huge mango trees are uprooted and houses in the poor quarters, nothing more is of the small huts partially remained. Amazingly, the water was already almost gone when I arrived a week ago.
How is the situation outside of Beira?
If you fly to areas about the Flood, you will see that people there are cut off from the outside world. The water is still there, or it is extremely muddy. A few days ago, the South Africa saved niche army of two babies that are only a few months old. You get a week of no food, were on the point of Starvation.
The situation is still dramatic?
The human life of Hand-to-mouth. And then such a devastating storm is coming. Floods are there every year, but a cyclone, no one knew. Particularly in the poor districts, people are left with Nothing. You don’t know where you can sleep in the next day or how do you foods to get.
Several people have already died of Cholera, more than 2000 people to be ill. How great is the danger that the disease spreads further?
Pretty great. We are fighting against time. Unicef has started a few days ago to vaccinate all. The volunteers go door-to-door. But vaccination is normally only after one week.
so It will be develop more people?
This is to accept. There is no clean water, the people have no soap, are not able to wash even the fingers. There is a lack of such simple things as matches and canisters of water to boil and store.
Is this enough help?
I think so. The local authorities are actually very well positioned. There is a large co-ordination centre at the airport, there are also hundreds of helpers of international organizations. But: sometimes you feel like you can coordinate more to help than the one comes. On the other hand, you have to coordinate to ensure that all areas are covered.
What is it in the help?
Acute is the fight against the Cholera, and the food supply. A big Problem will be that the country in the medium term, again on the legs to help the people rebuild. The schools need to be repaired, people need houses. But you have to help yourself as best you can.
How?
yesterday I was a single mother with five children. Your house is completely destroyed. Within three days, she has established at least a temporary accommodation. That impressed me very much. The mental Situation, but it is a different challenge.
How people are traumatized?
imagine that all around you a storm is raging, the houses fly away – and you cower alone with their children on a wall. From the afternoon until six in the morning. You have to make the people back to courage and to help you get your own strength back.
How do you do that?
There must be something concrete to help. Start-up capital, food, means of houses to rebuild. But you must also ensure that someone is there to listen. Some people need the environment and need to talk with people. Other must necessarily do something.
What does that mean?
I spoke with a mother who has lost due to the cyclone, one of their children. She’s not incredibly active, is at a standstill. In a Cholera centre helps to provide for the sick and supports related construction. This is their way of using the blow of fate.
More about
anxiety after the cyclone, Mozambique is worried because of the Cholera, and his women
Catherine Ebel emergency relief expert at SOS children’s villages in the world, for they are already in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, has worked.
