Operation Sahayata: India extends aid to Mozambique following Cyclone Idai

India has extended support in helping Mozambique deal with the aftermath of the high-end, Category -2 storm Cyclone Idai which has destroyed multiple villages and left hundreds dead.

Being considered as one of the worst disasters to hit Southern Africa in living history, Cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique last week, leaving a trail of destruction in Zimbabwe and Malawi.

"Everything indicates that we can have a record of more than 1,000 dead," CNN quoted the Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi as saying following the cyclone.

Amongst other nations, India has become one of the first international responders to the natural disaster in Mozambique. The first batch of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material including food, medicines and clothing reached Port Beira of Mozambique on March 20.

As part of these efforts, India has so far conducted three medical evacuations by Chetak, rescued 181 people on March 21 alone, dropped food to the affected by helicopters, given medical aid to 563 people and provided food to around 450 people.

Eye witness accounts from the affected states suggest that the death toll from the cyclone is likely to exceed official estimates. Entire villages have been flooded after two major rivers burst their banks in the days following the storm.

More than 400 people have died in the affected nations until now, according to officials. The figure is set to rise as bodies are being discovered as floodwaters recede.