HARARE, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Wednesday provided Zimbabwe with an additional 2.5 million U.S. dollars to respond to emergency needs following Cyclone Idai which hit the country three weeks ago.
The contribution, provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace, will support immediate food needs in the most affected areas of Manicaland Province, the U.S. embassy said in a statement.
The USAID on March 20 announced an initial contribution of 100,000 U.S. dollars to help victims of Cyclone Idai in the country.
The embassy said USAID will work through the World Food Program (WFP) to provide immediate food assistance to approximately 133,000 individuals affected by the cyclone in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.
"The contribution includes more than 2,000 metric tons of U.S. in-kind sorghum, vegetable oil, and fortified cereals that were prepositioned from USAID's warehouse in Durban, South Africa," the embassy said.
WFP country director Eddie Rowe welcomed the timely contribution which he said was "key in meeting the immediate food needs of victims who are still battling to recover from the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Idai, and support early recovery efforts as they start to rebuild their lives."
The cyclone left a trail of destruction in Zimbabwe and the death toll from the cyclone now stands at 268 and is expected to rise as rescue and search efforts continue.
An estimated 270,000 people are also in need of humanitarian assistance in Zimbabwe after the cyclone.
