Cyclone Idai: India reaches out to Mozambique

  1. The Indian Navy has had launched a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation near Port Beira in Mozambique. Mozambique has been hit by widespread flooding and devastation after a tropical cyclone named Idai had made landfall near the port city of Beira. Mozambique is located in Southeast Africa. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean in the east.
  2. HADR operation seeks to provide immediate succour and relief to the disaster affected population. In response to a request from the Mozambique government, the Indian government three Indian Naval Ships (INS Sujatha, INS Shardul & INS Sarathi) to Beira to help in search and rescue, provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
  3. The Indian Navy annually conducts Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise. The exercise seeks to validate the Indian Navy’s capability to provide immediate disaster relief assistance in the aftermath of a disaster. In 2018, a joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise ‘Chakravath,’ was organised by the Indian Navy in coordination with the Kerala government.
  4. Indian Navy has participated in many HADR operations in the aftermath of disasters in Indian Ocean Region. For e.g. During floods in Sri Lanka in 2017, , assistance to Bangladesh during Cyclone Mora, 2017