Mozambique: Cyclone Idai & Floods Situation Report No. 19 (As of 29 April 2019)

This Situation Report is produced by OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa in collaboration with humanitarian partners.
The Situation Report, which covers the period 23 to 29 April and provides detailed information on the situation and response by sector.
The next Situation Report will cover the period 30 April to 6 May.

HIGHLIGHTS

• At least 403 people died and 1,597 were injured by Tropical Cyclone Idai, which made landfall on 14 March in Mozambique, according to the Government.

• Eighteen accomodation centers remained open in Sofala province as of 29 April, hosting 17,901 people who remained displaced by the cyclone.

• Malaria cases increased in Sofala Province, with 20,282 cases reported as of 28 April in Beira, Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda districts.

• Cholera cases continued to decline, with 10 cases reported in Sofala on 28 April, down from a peak of more than 400 cases in one day alone on 8 April.

• Humanitarian response in remote locations remains constrained by damaged and cut-off roads, including in Chissange (Dondo), Wirikizi, Honve and Nhamassinzira (Muanza) and Cheadea, Nhampoca and Macorococho (Nhamatanda).

1.85M People in need

6,686 Cholera cases

>1.45M People reached with food assistance

>11,000 Children under five years of age severely malnourished

20,282 Malaria cases in Sofala Province

>1.06M People reached with water assistance

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Nearly 150,000 houses have been recorded as destroyed or damaged in Sofala province alone as a result of Tropical Cyclone Idai, including 60,898 totally destroyed and 89,066 partially destroyed, according to the Government. Some 17,901 displaced people were sheltering in 18 accommodation centres in Sofala province as of 28 April, in Buzi (7), Beira (5),
Nhamatanda (4) and Dondo (2).

There are at least three types of population movements taking place in the aftermath of the cyclone, facilitated by the Government, with support where feasible from humanitarian actors: returns – displaced people are being given kits to return and rebuild their homes; relocations – people are being moved from accommodation centres to a temporary location, from which they are expected to proceed home; and resettlement - people are being assigned plots in new locations where they are expected to move and start a new life. Humanitarian actors continue to advocate for safe, coordinated and dignified population movements, in addition to ensuring adequate service provision and sustainable resources in return, relocation and resettlement areas.

Each day, population movements are taking place. As at 29 April, more than 1,230 people (256 families) had been relocated from Beira to Guara Guara in Buzi district, where about 8,500 (1,700 families) are reportedly hosted in six transit sites and one accommodation centre, according to the INGC. Meanwhile, in Beira, families from the Peacock accommodation centre were resettled to Savane (410 families) and Retama (294 families), while families sheltering in the IFAPA accommodation centre were resettled to Mandruzi (171 families) and a further 316 families are slated to return to their places of origin. In Dondo, the Samora Machel accommodation centre was deactivated on 27 April following the return of all remaining families.
In Nhamatanda, the Jonsegredo and Mutemarega accommodation centres were deactivated on 26 April.

The process of plot demarcation and allocation for resettlement continues, with 3,660 plots allocated as of 28 April, of which 1,730 were allocated. Families receive a one-week food package and limited kitchen sets, and the Government has requested more tents to support relocations and resettlement. However, there are limited stocks in the humanitarian community. Emergency service provision across temporary sites in affected areas continues, while at the same time, partners and the authorities are reviewing sector response strategies and integrating early recovery initiatives, to ensure a smooth transition to the recovery and reconstruction phase.

There remains a high likelihood of food insecurity rising in the months ahead. The 2018/19 rainy season was marked by a delayed start of season, below average rainfall, early cessation of rains, and heavy late season rainfall and flooding associated with Tropical Cyclones Desmond, Idai, and Kenneth, according to FEWSNET. Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are already present in many areas affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai and associated flooding. However, humanitarian assistance is mitigating more severe outcomes with Stressed! (IPC Phase 2!) present in low-lying areas significantly affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai in the central region. Food Security Cluster partners had reportedly reached 1,451,781 people with food assistance across Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia provinces as of 26 April.

Access to clean water and improved sanitation remain a major challenge, although the cholera outbreak has been largely contained following the Oral Cholera Vaccination campaign and a significant scale-up in WASH activities. Just 10 new cases were reported in the last 24-hour period, compared to more than 400 cases reported on 8 April at the height of the outbreak. More than 1.06 million people have been assisted with drinking water, including 544,015 people reached through distribution of Certeza in cholera-affected areas, according to the Government and partners.

Malaria is a key public health concern, including due to stagnant water in multiple areas impacted by flooding. Some 20,282 cases had been reported as of 29 April in Nhamatanda, Dondo, Beira and Buzi. Nhamatanda continues to report the largest number of cases. Spraying has commenced in Buzi to decrease the risks of malaria.

Efforts to ensure that the response is inclusive are ongoing. A database of people with disabilities from Beira, Dondo and Buzi has been created to improve the quality of response, enhance accountability towards the most vulnerable and increase access to humanitarian assistance for other vulnerable groups such as older people, pregnant women and children.
Accessibility, particularly by road, continues to hamper access in several areas, with heavy rains in mid-April again making key secondary and tertiary roads inaccessible. At least 50 locations remain hard-to-reach or inaccessible by road.