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UNICEF Mozambique Cyclone Situation Report #9 (09 - 15 May 2019)

Countries
Mozambique
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

Highlights

  • Around 60,000 children remain in need of life-saving aid in Cabo Delgado province with access and security constraints hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

  • In Sofala and Manica provinces, more than 11,000 families are being moved to resettlement sites that do not meet minimum conditions. UNICEF is working with partners and government to accelerate the provision of basic services.

  • UNICEF continues to support the provision of temporary, safe, drinking water to more than 500,000 children in provinces affected by the two cyclones. However, a permanent solution is needed for families returning home or relocating to safer locations.

  • With UNICEF support, the Emergency Response Health Week (SSRE), reached more than 550,000 children under-five with measles-rubella vaccine, polio vaccine, vitamin A supplementation, deworming and nutrition screening.

  • UNICEF is providing temporary solutions to re-establish access to education to 36,000 affected children in provinces affected by the cyclones, while planning for permanent and resilient solutions.

SITUATION IN NUMBERES

1.85 million People affected by the cyclone in need of assistance by HRP 2019

1 million Children affected by the cyclone in need of assistance

500,000 Children targeted by UNICEF

1 million People targeted by UNICEF WASH

178 Cholera cases reported in Cabo Delgado province

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Cyclone Idai

In Sofala province the number of accommodation centres has decreased from 18 last week to 11 this week with a total of 2,987 families still displaced. UNICEF and partners are working with the Government to plan and support the resettlement of around 40,000 people to 21 sites. Despite the humanitarian community efforts to accelerate the provision of basic services in relocation areas, the movement of families is happening before minimum conditions are in place. UNICEF and humanitarian partners are advocating with the Provincial Government for a slower process.In Manica province (Sussundenga/Dombe districts) more than 15,000 people live in around 30 resettlement areas with limited or no access to basic services. UNICEF is leading the efforts to assess these locations and meet the water and sanitation needs of the displaced families through the WASH cluster. Government’s resettlement plans and standards are still unclear and coordination between provincial, district authorities and humanitarian community is weak.

New cholera cases in Sofala province remain low, in the single digits, with two consecutive days of zero cases. Importantly, cholera has not moved into neighbouring districts as active surveillance investigated and excluded treated diarrhoea cases.
Malaria continues to rise with 29,597 accumulated cases in Beira, Dondo, Nhamatanda and Buzi districts since the beginning of the crisis.

Cyclone Kenneth

In Cabo Delgado access and security remain significant constraints hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the most heavily affected communities that remain isolated. As of 12 May, the National Institute for the Management of Disasters (INGC in Portuguese) recorded about 286,000 affected people (249,000 in Cabo Delgado and 37,000 in Nampula province), of which approximately 143,000 are children. The most affected districts are Macomia, Quissanga and Ibo (Cabo Delgado). The most heavily affected communities, with an estimated population of around 120,000 people, are receiving limited support mostly by air due to their inaccessibility, with blanket distribution of food, shelter, water disinfectant (Certeza) and few additional NFI. Around 2,800 people are sheltering in six temporary accommodation centres in Cabo Delgado province. The government plans to move 13,500 families from unsafe areas to resettlement locations. The Shelter Cluster is engaging the provincial authorities to define resettlement plans and UNICEF is actively engaging in the discussion.

A total of 308 classrooms in 147 schools are totally or partially destroyed affecting access to education for around 42,000 children. Over 19 health facilities are damaged or destroyed preventing thousands of children from accessing primary health services.
As of the 13 May, the MoH reported 178 confirmed cases of cholera in Cabo Delgado, not only in the city of Pemba but also in the more rural districts of Metuge and Mecufi (147 in Pemba, 20 in Metuge and 11 in Mecufi, making more difficult the identification of cases and ensuring care, although the attack rate in rural areas is typically lower. Children are highly vulnerable to water-borne diseases and vector-borne diseases. Given increase in breeding sites, malaria is a major concern with the number of malaria cases increasing rapidly. Health facilities in Pemba, Macomia, Metuge, Ibo and Quissanga recorded a combined 3,677 cases of malaria since the Cyclone Kenneth.

Humanitarian leadership and coordination

At the national level, the INGC continues to provide overall leadership and coordination for the emergency responses related to both Cyclone Idai and Kenneth. In Maputo, UNICEF leads the national Nutrition, WASH and Education clusters and the Child Protection sub-cluster. UNICEF also actively participates in the Health and Protection clusters. UNICEF also co-chairs with COSACA the PSEA Network in Maputo. The Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) supports the leadership of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT).UNICEF is using its close relationship with central and local government to strengthen the Government of Mozambique’s leadership of the cluster coordination system.