A family stand outside their submerged huts near Nhamatanda, about 80 miles from Beira, in Mozambique, on March, 26, 2019.
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi—AP

These Photos Show the Devastation Caused by a Catastrophic Climate Disaster

By Hillary Leung
March 27, 2019 3:23 PM EDT

An estimated 1.7 million people were in the path of Cyclone Idai when it struck southeast Africa in mid-March. More than 700 deaths have been recorded in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. And with hundreds still missing and rescue efforts underway, the U.N. says the toll is expected to rise.

The storm made landfall in the Mozambique port city of Beira on March 14, creating a storm surge that destroyed 90% of the area before continuing west toward Zimbabwe and Malawi.

In the aftermath of what the U.N. has called “one of the worst climate-related disasters to hit Southern Africa,” humanitarian groups have been calling for donations and sending aid in the form of food, water, hygiene kits and other essentials. Here’s how you can help survivors of the devastating storm.

People wade through flood waters in a rural neighborhood affected by Cyclone Idai on March 24, 2019 in Buzi, Mozambique.
Andrew Renneisen—Getty Images
People looting sacks of Chinese rice from a warehouse surrounded by water in Beira, Mozambique, on March 20, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
An aerial view of a neighborhood affected by Cyclone Idai on March 24, 2019 in Beira, Mozambique.
Andrew Renneisen—Getty Images
People who lost their home after cyclone Idai hit sleep on a street in Buzi, Mozambique, on March 23, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
People climb to the top of a broken bridge, damaged during Cyclone Idai, across the Lucite River on March 26, 2019, outside of Magaro, Mozambique.
Andrew Renneisen—Getty Images
Fishermen catch fish in a flooded area hit by the Cyclone Idai in Tica, Mozambique, on March 24, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
Women wait in a line to receive relief supplies from a South African relief organization in Estaquinha, Mozambique, on March 26, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
People from Buzi take shelter in the Samora M. Machel secondary school in Beira, Mozambique, on March 21, 2019, following the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
Girls collect artificial flowers from the rubble of a building destroyed by cyclone Idai at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Beira, Mozambique, on March 24, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
A solar charger is seen beside trees destroyed by cyclone Idai in Tica, Mozambique, on March 24, 2019.
Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images
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Write to Hillary Leung at hillary.leung@time.com.