Match Announced for Cyclone Response

On April 1, the Government of Canada announced that all donations for Cyclone Idai response efforts made by Canadians to members of the Humanitarian Coalition by April 14 will be matched, up to $2 million.

World Renew is a member of the Humanitarian Coalition through its membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank*.

As each day passes, the death toll from Cyclone Idai continues to rise. Updates from communities throughout Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are harrowing.

Thousands of families do not have reliable access to food or clean drinking water. Over 100,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 750 people have been killed. Cholera outbreaks throughout Mozambique are leaving thousands at risk of severe illness or death.

Humanitarian assistance is urgently needed today and for months to come.

World Renew is on the ground providing life-saving assistance to families in great need.

On top of the Canadian Government match, donations in Canada are eligible to be matched up to four times through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. This means that donations made to World Renew might be matched up to five times for cyclone response needs!

In collaboration with local Christian partners, World Renew is helping families through:

• Emergency food supplies: Many families completely lost food stocks and cannot afford to purchase enough food from local markets.
• Cholera prevention: Flooding has destroyed latrines and created enormous in-land lakes. Combined with a lack of clean drinking water sources, thousands are at risk of deadly cholera outbreaks.
• Temporary shelter: Over 100,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Mozambique alone, leaving thousands without a roof over their heads or protection from the elements.

On top of these urgent needs, World Renew also recognizes that there will be significant needs throughout the long-term recovery process. Many families cannot yet return to their flooded homes. When they finally are able to return home, many challenges await them.

Cyclone Idai destroyed thousands of acres of crops right before harvest, leaving farmers with no income at a critical time of year. With no income and minimal food stocks remaining, families will face a food crisis for months to come.

That is why World Renew is providing families with emergency food now, ensuring that they have enough to eat, and is also preparing to provide farmers with seeds to replant the crops that they lost.

Your donations are urgently needed to support this critical response. Please give today. And please pray for the families living throughout Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe who have been affected by Cyclone Idai; pray for peace in the midst of this uncertain crisis.

*The Humanitarian Coalition brings together ten leading aid organizations, including the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and its members, to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during large-scale humanitarian emergencies. Member agencies join forces to raise funds, partner with the government, and mobilize media, businesses and individual Canadians in response to major emergencies.

Humanitarian Coalition members are all reputable registered charities in good standing with the government and their donors. They work together to raise funds in order to reduce costs so that donor dollars are well-spent and the money goes to where it is needed most.