Mozambique: Humanitarian Dashboard (As of 18 December 2019)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Multiple and consecutive shocks, including drought, cyclones, floods and insecurity, have left an estimated 2.5 million people—almost 10 per cent of the country’s population—in need of life-saving and life-sustaining assistance in Mozambique. The revised Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) targets the priority needs of 2 million people, including food insecurity and malnutrition, inadequate shelter, and lack of access to health, protection and education services. It also contributes to early recovery, in complement to the Disaster Recovery Framework, which covers the medium- and longer-term response. However, less than half of the funding required for full implementation of the HRP has been mobilized—with under US$292 million received out of more than $620 million required—and four critical sectors are less than 20 per cent funded: Protection (18 per cent); Health (15 per cent); Nutrition (2 per cent); and Education (1 per cent).

Approximately 2 million people are now severely food insecure, and this number is expected to increase during the current lean season (October 2019-March 2020). Based on the findings of the food security and nutrition assessment conducted in June 2019 by the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutrition Security (SETSAN), an estimated 67,500 children require urgent treatment for malnutrition. For the first time in many years, pellagra (a vitamin B-3 deficiency) has been reported in the country, with over 1,000 cases confirmed in Cyclone Idai-affected areas.

Eight months after Cyclone Idai hit the country, six months post Cyclone Kenneth, and with the rain/cyclone season approaching, more than half a million people (over 100,000 households) are reportedly still living in destroyed or damaged homes or makeshift shelters. Another nearly 92,500 people (over 18,000 households) remain displaced across 71 resettlement sites in the central and northern regions of the country, in dire need of food, water, education, shelter/NFIs, WASH, health and protection services. At the same time, the shocks endured by communities in 2018/2019 have significantly exacerbated pre-existing protection risks, including child protection concerns, sexual and gender-based violence, loss of personal documentation, and issues related to land and property rights. Displaced people, particularly women, often do not have clear tenure arrangements and limited access to land ownership which aggravates their insecurity and vulnerability to exploitation. An additional 65,000 people are estimated to have been affected and/or displaced by insecurity in Cabo Delgado to date, as a result of over 200 attacks on villages by unknown armed actors and clashes between security forces and armed groups since October 2017.

According to forecasts, the 2019/2020 rainy season is likely to be below average, with potential for late and erratic rains in the central and southern regions and normal to above average rains in the northern region. This could cause agricultural losses, further compounding needs. There is also the risk of another cyclone hitting Mozambique in the months ahead.