Challenges faced by humanitarian organisations in rendering services in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in implementing disaster management services in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani district. The tropical cyclone left footprints of humanitarian crises that overwhelmed the capacity of the Zimbabwean government and called for the intervention of international and local non-governmental organizations. This paper utilised the qualitative research methods guided by the exploratory research design. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 11 humanitarian organizations that rendered services during and in the aftermath of the disaster. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically with the aid of the Atlas.ti software. The study established that some of the setbacks faced by the humanitarian organizations in assisting the survivors of Cyclone Idai include bureaucracy standard set by the government, unfamiliarity with the disaster-stricken areas, lack of coordination among humanitarian organizations, militarisation of interventions, limited resources and inaccessibility of most communities owing to damaged roads.