Government of China provides USD 2 million in aid to Cyclone Idai-affected families in Zimbabwe

9 January 2020, Beijing – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and China International Development and Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) signed an agreement on 12 December 2019 to provide USD 2 million for humanitarian assistance for populations affected by Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe. The contribution is from the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF) of the Government of China.

Cyclone Idai is the worst natural disaster in Southern Africa in nearly two decades. It hit Zimbabwe on 15 March 2019, resulting in extensive damages to homes and lives, with over 270,000 people affected, including 129,600 children left in need of life-saving support.

“The Government of China’s contribution will help UNICEF to respond to another critical humanitarian emergency. We will work together to reach cyclone-affected children and their families with water, sanitation, hygiene, critical health, nutrition and social protection services.”

– Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to China

Earlier this year, UNICEF and the Government of China cooperated under the SSCAF framework to provide humanitarian assistance to populations affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and Malawi, where an estimated 2 million people are in dire needs of humanitarian assistance, including more than 1 million children.