A crisis within a crisis. Intense Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mecufi district (Cabo Delgado) on 15 December, bringing heavy rains (up to 250mm/24h) and strong winds (up to 80 km/h). An estimated 453,971 people were affected with 120 fatalities and 868 injuries reported. In Cabo Delgado Province, the districts of Mecufi, Metuge and Chiure, along with the provincial capital, Pemba, have been heavily affected, followed by Namuno, Montepuez, and Balama. The number of people impacted in Cabo Delgado is estimated at 272,000 people. In Nampula Province, the districts of Erati, Memba, Meucuburi, Mossuril and Nacala were severely affected. The number of people impacted is estimated at 175,169 people.
The destruction was widespread. Over 103,000 houses have been completely or partially destroyed, along with 250 schools, and 52 health centres along with 456,000 hectares of land, including 28,000 hectares of croplands, were inundated, seeds that were already distributed were destroyed. Southern districts of Cabo Delgado impacted by Cyclone Chido are the same districts that have witnessed highest effects of post-election violence. The same districts are impacted by reduced humanitarian footprint due to shifting focus to northern districts. Metuge is one of the districts with the highest numbers of conflict-affected IDPs.
Cyclone Chido has created a shelter crisis. Due to limited resources shelter partners provided partial assistance to 38,265 families meaning 129,000 families are without shelter at the start of the rainy season. Due to resource constraints, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) partners have only delivered 7-days food ration kits to some 171, 000 people.
In response to the crisis, humanitarian partners launched an emergency appeal seeking to mobilize $88 million to provide life-saving assistance to 320,000 people affected by the cyclone. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provided an allocation of U$4 million for cyclone response.
Cyclone Chido affected areas already impacted by conflict-induced displacements, cholera outbreak, and post-election violence. The Chido Flash Appeal complements the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires U$352 million to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of at least 1.3 million people, the majority are women and children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.