This article discusses the destruction wrought by Hurricane Idai in Mozambique and extending into Zambia and Malawi. The flooding and high winds have destroyed important and fragile infrastructure in the developing nations, as well as contributing to the spread of disease. Infectious diseases like malaria and dysentery spread quickly in the flooded conditions, and the developing countries do not have enough resources to fund adequate rescue efforts: 600,000 people are still in need of aid, and food scarcity is quickly becoming a problem.
Several international organizations and institutions have turned their efforts to aiding the overwhelmed southern African nations. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched appeal for $30 million in international funding, and USAID, U.S. Africa COmmand, and the European Union, U.K. and other U.S. assets have all pledged emergency aid.
This event is an excellent example of some of the positive effects of a cooperative, rules-based international order. In such an environment, not only do states have clear forums and mechanisms to assist another state in need, but nongovernmental organizations and institutions interact with states to help in ways that increase the aid they are able to give and make the pathway to give it smoother.