Turkish plane carrying more aid reaches Mozambique

By Ismet Karakas

BEIRA, Mozambique (AA) - Turkey's second cargo plane, carrying humanitarian aid for people affected by the deadly hurricane Idai, reached Mozambique on Saturday.

The humanitarian aid include 100 tents, 650 personal hygiene packs and 200 food parcels.

Idai made landfall in Mozambique's port city of Beira on March 14 with winds of up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) per hour, killing at least 534 people in Mozambique, according to local media.

The combined death toll in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe now stands at over 740, according to media reports.

UN has said the cyclone had displaced about 110,000 people, forcing them to take shelter in camps across central Mozambique.

More than 17,500 houses were damaged by the cyclone.

Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), National Medical Search Team (UMKE) and Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) have been providing support and distributing humanitarian aid in the region.

The cyclone has washed away crops and roads have been damaged across the three south African countries.

Many areas in Mozambique remain without electricity, and almost all networks have been severely damaged, according to the UN.