Aid workers rushed to rescue victims clinging to trees and crammed on rooftops on Tuesday amid fears that many thousands of people are at risk.


In Mozambique, the rapidly rising floodwaters created “an inland ocean,” endangering tens of thousands of families, aid workers said as they scrambled to rescue survivors and airdrop, food, water and blankets to survivors of Cyclone Idai.


“This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique’s recent history,” said Jamie LeSueur, head of response efforts for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.


Portugal has said it is ready to help Mozambique through the European Union and the United Nations following the passage of Cyclone Idai, according to a note posted on the Portuguese presidency’s website.


“Portugal will seek to contribute to the aid and reconstruction, either directly or through the European Union and the United Nations, by expressing to our Mozambican brothers and to all those who, in particular the Portuguese, have been affected by this great tragedy” the note read.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on the note said he had spoken with his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyusi, to learn more about the effects of the cyclone in the centre of Mozambique and particularly in the city of Beira, with a much more tragic and dramatic outcome than initially estimated.


There are no reports of Portuguese citizens being killed, injured or at risk following the Idai cyclone that has battered the centre of Mozambique, Portugal’s foreign minister said on Monday in Brussels, but “several dozen” people lost their homes and belongings.
Augusto Santos Silva said at the end of a meeting of EU foreign ministers that “unfortunately” dozens of “countrymen” had lost their homes and belongings and were staying in hotels or with friends and neighbours.


At least half a million people are reported to have been left homeless, with Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi saying the death toll could reach 1,000.


“This is a major humanitarian emergency that is getting bigger by the hour,” said Herve Verhoosel of the World Food Programme (WFP).


He said people were “crammed on rooftops and elevated patches of land.”


“People visible from the air may be the lucky ones and the top priority now is to rescue as many as possible,” he said.


Many areas remained impassible. With key roads washed away, aid groups were trying to get badly needed food, medicine and fuel into the hard-hit city of Beira, on Mozambique’s coast, by air and by sea.


“It’s dire,” Caroline Haga of the Red Cross told The Associated Press from Beira, a city of 500,000.


“We did an aerial surveillance and saw people on rooftops and in tree branches. The waters are still rising and we are desperately trying to save as many as possible.”


Satellite images were helping the rescue teams target the most critical areas, Haga said. Rescue operations were based at Beira airport, one of the few places in the city with working communications.


The Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) said it has hundreds of long-term food items in the institution’s warehouses throughout Portugal destined for the city of Beira in Mozambique which was hit by Cyclone Idai, awaiting a special aircraft for this purpose.


In a statement, the head of the Portuguese Red Cross, Francisco George, said that a national alert was issued for long-term (canned) food reserves to be collected in case a humanitarian flight to Mozambique was organised.


Francisco George told Lusa News Agency that the Portuguese Red Cross has opened a solidarity account with €5,000 (from a CVP emergency fund), and Portuguese people can contribute.


“I appeal to all Portuguese to transfer the amounts they want.


They can donate through an ATM, in payments and services, with the entity 20999 and reference 999 999 999,” he said.


George also said that the Portuguese Red Cross has already sent to Mozambique a specialist to participate in operations with modern equipment, via satellite, to support authorities to rejoin families.


He added that “at the moment,” the important thing is to get water, food and medicine to the victims.


TPN/Agencies