On Sunday (24 March) night, MSF sent three chartered flights packed with emergency supplies from Ostend, Belgium to Beira, Mozambique, where an emergency response is underway after a cyclone and subsequent flooding devastated the area.

The massive shipment weighed a total of 43.3 tons and included medical kits, water and sanitation supplies, logistical equipment and other items needed for MSF’s emergency response operations on the ground in Mozambique.

Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction and catastrophic flooding in its wake after it made landfall at the port city of Beira on the night of 14 March. With all road access to the affected area cut, the aid response has been significantly hampered. MSF sent in its first emergency assessment team on 18 March, and on 21 March the organization began initial medical response activities. But the needs are enormous, and MSF needs a huge supply operation to enable its teams to scale up the response.