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UNICEF Mozambique Humanitarian Situation Report No. 4: April 2022

Countries
Mozambique
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date
Origin
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Highlights

  • Nearly 19,000 people, of whom 52.5 percent are children, were on the move in Cabo Delgado, either fleeing from attacks or returning to areas of origin

  • UNICEF supported the establishment of six temporary learning spaces and provided learner kits in the recently accessible Palma district benefiting 6,000 children

  • In Cabo Delgado, nearly 10,700 people received UNICEF hygiene kits in April

  • UNICEF provided 200 community health worker kits in ten districts to cover the health needs of over 8,600 children

  • UNICEF supported the second round of the poliovirus vaccination campaign in seven provinces

Funding Overview and Partnerships

UNICEF appeals for US$98.8 million to sustain the provision of life-saving services for women and children in Mozambique affected by multiple shocks. However, this appeal does not include funding required to support those affected by Cyclone Gombe and Tropical Storm Ana during the first quarter of 2022. This year, UNICEF has received generous contributions from the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, in support of UNICEF Mozambique’s humanitarian response to COVID-19, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea, who provided support for UNICEF’s response in the aftermath of Tropical Storms Ana and Gombe, and the World Bank via UNOPS, the Government of Italy and Norway who provided support for UNICEF’s activities in northern Mozambique. Needs in Mozambique have increased due to a busy cyclone season with multiple storms in rapid succession and below-average rainfall recorded in the southern region. The 2022 HAC, primarily focused on the conflict in the north, has a funding gap of 74 per cent. Without sufficient funds, over 600,000 children will not receive support to respond to basic needs. UNICEF is utilizing resources carried over from 2021 and has reallocated regular resources when possible to address urgent gaps.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

The conflict in Cabo Delgado resulted in the movement of 18,975 internal displaced people (IDPs) in April both within and among the affected districts. More than 52 per cent of the IDPs on the move were children. The main reasons for these movements include the intention to return to the place of origin (74 per cent), attacks (17 per cent) and among other reasons including fear of attacks, food/livelihood opportunities, and to join family members. The majority of IDP returns (Figure 1 in the PDF)—48 per cent children—returned spontaneously to Mapate, Muambula, Muatide and Namacande areas of Muidumbe district.

Access to harder-to-reach areas including Palma, Quissanga, Mueda, Macomia and Ibo, was possible through the UN Humanitarian Air Services. Road access within the districts of Palma and Macomia sede was possible sporadically, subject to prior coordination with civil and military authorities. The humanitarian access dynamic in these areas did not change significantly when compared to February and March. Approximately 80,000 IDPs in Cabo Delgado (11.4 per cent of total IDPs) are estimated to be in hard-to-reach areas.

UNICEF is closely monitoring food security. Across the country, food insecurity continues in specific areas as a result of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, the tropical storms that affected the central region from January to March, and the drought in the southern region. From June to September, the Famine Early Warning System Network anticipates Crisis outcomes—Integrated Phase Classification Phase 3—will likely emerge in the districts affected by Cyclone Gombe in Nampula province due to limited access to food and income-earning opportunities, and the weakening capacity of host communities to support storm and flood-displaced households. A similar trend is expected in drought-affected areas of southern and central Mozambique, where a poor harvest, the depletion of food reserves, and limited income-generating opportunities are likely to result in IPC Phase 3 outcomes from June.

The COVID-19 epidemiological situation continues to show reduced infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Based on this trend, on 20 April 2022, the President of Mozambique declared the end of the State of Public Calamity, decreed in 2020 as part of the measures put in place to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, given the need to maintain minimum prevention measures and manage the COVID-19 risk, the Government declared a State of Public health Emergency requiring all persons to wear masks in all closed spaces and public transport. As of 30 April, there were 66 active cases of COVID-19, and 13.9 million people were completely immunized against COVID-19 representing 91.3 percent of the target defined (15.2 million people).