WINDHOEK, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will launch a regional appeal for humanitarian assistance on Thursday after tropical Cyclone Idai battered parts of southern Africa, the SADC chairperson said Monday.
Hage Geingob, who is also Namibian president, said the regional appeal will be a formal request to the international community to provide immediate assistance to the three affected countries -- Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The assistance includes food, shelter, clothing, potable water, sanitation and medical support given the occurrence of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and malaria, the SADC secretariat said in a statement.
The support will help the affected districts rebuild their lives and economies, according to the statement.
The devastating tropical Cyclone Idai has affected an estimated 3 million people in the three SADC member states.
