World Bank gives Mozambique $150m for Cyclone Freddy recovery

The World Bank has moved $150m of the funds it has earmarked for Mozambique projects to help fund the Southern African nation’s efforts to recover from Cyclone Freddy.

Freddy was one of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the past two decades. It ripped through Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, first in late February before circling back and making landfall again in March. More than 1,000 people were reported dead in the region.

“Our priority is to support the Government to respond to this emergency quickly and ensure that the people affected by yet another cyclone can recover as soon as possible,” Xavier Chavana, the lender’s disaster risk management specialist in Mozambique, said in a statement on Thursday.

The World Bank said the money would help the Mozambican government to restore transport infrastructure and provide services, including water, sanitation, healthcare and education.

The funds are drawn from the World Bank’s existing projects in Mozambique and are separate from the $300m grant it approved in July. The money consists of $100m in grant money and $50m in credit extended by the bank.

In March, the cyclone pummelled central Mozambique, ripping roofs off buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane before moving inland towards Malawi, where it unleashed torrential rains that caused landslides.