ReliefWeb

This Appeal has been revised to accommodate the impact of Tropical Storm (TS) Ana which made landfall on 24 January 2022. The Revised Appeal details additional support needed to cover the needs of 50,000 people (10,000 households) in the most vulnerable households affected by Tropical Storm Ana with emergency response and recovery support and support the ongoing preparedness activities for the current floods and cyclone season. The IFRC Secretariat funding requirements have increased from 5,1 to 5,5 million Swiss francs and the Federation Wide funding requirements stand at 7,5 million Swiss francs. This Revised Appeal will also support the completion and scale-up of Tropical Storm Eloise recovery activities delayed due to the impact of Tropical Storm Ana.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tropical Storm Ana made landfall in Angoche, Nampula Province at 10 am on 24 January 2022 with wind speeds from 100-130 km/h. The storm brought precipitation of 200mm in 24 hours, leading to immediate flooding in the Licungo and Luazi Rivers. 24 hours after landfall, tropical storm Ana turned into a tropical depression system and brought significant rainfall to the northern and central regions. Heavy rainfall also impacted Malawi the runoff of which also reached the Rovùbué and Zambezi Rivers in Mozambique.

Northern and central Mozambique have been particularly hard hit where TS Ana destroyed thousands of houses, dozens of schools and hospitals, downed power lines, and bridges were washed away by swollen rivers.

At least 21 people were killed in Mozambique and an estimated over 125’000 were affected. The impact of the storm will be devastating, in particular, on shelter, livelihoods and health for highly vulnerable populations already affected by previous disasters, and with limited resources available to cope.

There are serious concerns about widespread floods, displacements, damages to critical public infrastructures and private houses as well as the interruption of basic services, as heavy rains and strong winds continue to hit. The floods also swept away livestock and drowned fields, destroying the livelihoods of some inhabitants. Waterborne and vectorborne illnesses are expected to rise including acute watery diarrhea, malaria and cholera. Recent cholera outbreaks include Munhava, Beira after Cyclone Idai in 2019; Nampula Province in 2020 during the rainy season, and Caia District, Sofala in September 2021.

Many of the same areas were impacted in 2019 by Cyclone Idai and Kenneth and again in 2021 by Tropical Storm Eloise, specifically the Sofala, Manica and Zambezia Provinces. The strength of Tropical Storm Ana was not as severe as that of Idai, but it has impacted a larger area than either Eloise or Idai. The same highly vulnerable communities are still struggling to rebuild their homes and livelihoods and their resilience has reduced.

Tropical Cyclone Eloise made landfall on 23 January 2021 20km south of Beira City, bringing wind gusts of up to 160km/h and torrential rains. The storm impacted 262,216 people and flooded 142,189 hectares of crops. A total of 5,913 houses were completely destroyed along with 82 hospitals and 89 schools. 15,930 people were displaced by the floodwaters.

For Tropical Storm Ana, the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) has so far reported at least 126,198 people affected (26,198 households), 210 people injured and 21 people killed. A total of 5,738 houses were destroyed, 14,728 damaged and 5,730 houses remain flooded. 30 hospitals and 249 schools have been affected. Currently, 20 evacuation centers are still open (mostly in Zambezia)) hosting 10,814 people. But these figures are expected to rise in the coming day as more assessments are completed in more provinces.

On 25 January, a general power cut has been reported in the provinces of Zambezia, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado, following damages caused on the main electricity line. In Tete province, the bridge over the Rovùbué river, between Tete City and Moatize, collapsed due to the heavy flow of water from Malawi. In Nampula, the connection between Nampula Sede and Angoche has been interrupted due to the overflow of the Luazi River. In Zambezia, the Licungo River exceeded the alert level, causing moderate to high floods in the districts of Mocuba, Maganja da Costa, and Namacurra. Moreover, several roads are under the water and two bridges have been destroyed between Mocuba and Lugela.

Mozambique is currently in its rainy season, and the situation could deteriorate quickly if another tropical depression or cyclone brings additional rains. Weather services in the region have warned of another storm building in the Indian Ocean, which may materialize in the coming days and more storms would usually be expected before the end of the season in two months' time.

The Mozambican Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Moçambique, CVM) teams are on the ground carrying out search and rescue and providing life-saving support to the most vulnerable affected communities. Actions on the ground are being supported by IFRC and partner National Societies Belgium Red Cross, German Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, French Red Cross, Italian Red Cross, and Netherlands Red Cross. In anticipation of the impact on 21 January 2022, the IFRC released 140,041 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support local preparedness efforts.