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Satellite image shows extent of Idai-related flooding

By Clyde Hughes
This image is from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and shows the extent of flooding, depicted in red, around the port town of Beira in Mozambique on Tuesday. Photo courtesy European Space Agency.
This image is from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and shows the extent of flooding, depicted in red, around the port town of Beira in Mozambique on Tuesday. Photo courtesy European Space Agency.

March 21 (UPI) -- Satellite images of the Mozambique city hardest hit by Cyclone Idai displayed the scale of flooding in the city and region as emergency crews continued to scramble to save those trapped from the storm's aftermath.

The images, released Wednesday, provided by the European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, showed the continued widespread flooding problem in the port city of Beira along with the rest of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

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"Millions of people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe are struggling to cope with the aftermath of what could be the southern hemisphere's worst storm: Cyclone Idai," the agency wrote. "This mission is also supplying imagery through the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service to aid relief efforts."

Mozambique officials said Thursday that some 15,000 people still need to be rescued from rooftops and other places victims sought shelter from flood waters after the storm. While some 300 have been confirmed dead in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, that number is expected to go up because some of the hardest hit areas are still inaccessible to rescue workers.

The United Nations said Wednesday that its Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $20 million with help with relief efforts. Officials said the needs of victims are still be assessed and its humanitarian partners are increasing efforts to bring emergency food, clean drinking water, and health care supplies to the affected areas.

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"The CERF funds will complement the three governments' immediate efforts to provide life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to affected communities, including in health, food security, protection, nutrition and education," UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said in a statement.

"Vulnerable groups such as children, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with disabilities, and those affected by chronic illnesses will be prioritized," he continued.

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