Attachments
Highlights
Communities in the region impacted by Cyclone Chido and post-election violence in Mozambique received essential items and services.
Registration exercises were conducted in Angola and Namibia, improving refugees’ self-reliance and protection.
Displaced people in Angola, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe received support to access education and vocational training.
Regional Context: Key Developments
- Cyclone Chido impacts the region: Tropical Cyclone Chido struck northern Mozambique on 15 December, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds severely impacting Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa provinces. In Mozambique, the cyclone impacted more than 453,000 people, destroyed over 70,000 houses, and severely damaged infrastructure in areas already hosting approximately 300,000 forcibly displaced people. The cyclone also caused significant devastation in Comoros and destroyed homes and infrastructure in Malawi.
- Insecurity continues in DRC: Armed conflict remained widespread in eastern DRC, particularly in North and South Kivu provinces. Civilians continued to face violence, forced displacement and growing risks of human rights violations and abuses, with a spike in mass displacements during December. Given the levels of armed conflict, the UN peacekeeping mandate was renewed for 2025, while the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC was also extended by one year.
- Post-election unrest in Mozambique: Following the presidential election on 9 December, the unstable security situation in Mozambique marked by demonstrations, strikes, road blockages, looting and destruction of property forced several thousand people to flee to neighbouring countries. As of the end of December, more than 1,100 asylum-seekers, including over 600 children, were registered in Malawi’s Nsanje District, while some 950 people were being sheltered at Malindza Refugee Reception Centre in Eswatini.
- Meeting on the route-based approach: In December, government officials from across Southern Africa gathered at a meeting co-convened by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and UNHCR to discuss how to undertake collective action to address the complex challenges faced by refugees and migrants in mixed movements through a route-based approach. Discussions centered around the need to enhance coordination among Member States to enhance protection, harmonize migration and asylum policies and establish systems for regular data sharing.