Mozambique: Severe Tropical Storm Freddy - Flash Update No.7 (as of 09 March 2023) [EN/PT]

HIGHLIGHTS

• The confluence of multiple crises is compounding a severe humanitarian situation in Mozambique.

• Severe Tropical Storm Freddy is projected to make a second landfall in Mozambique, in Zambezia province on 11 March as a Tropical Cyclone.

• The government estimates that 565,000 people are at-risk in Zambezia, Tete, Sofala and Nampula provinces. This would come on top of more than 239 000 people affected by floods and tropical storm Freddy’s first landfall in February in southern Mozambique and two million people in need of assistance in the North.

• Heavy rains, above 200mm/24h are expected in Zambezia, Sofala, Manica and Tete provinces.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The latest forecast from the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) indicate that Severe Tropical Storm Freddy is currently in the Mozambique channel and moving further towards Mozambique. Current projections indicate that the weather system may intensify further and make landfall between Quelimane and Maquival districts, Zambezia province on 11 March as Tropical Cyclone, with winds of up 140km/h.

INAM indicates that until 12 March heavy rains, above 200mm/24h are expected in the provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia and high risk of flooding is reported for Tete and Zambezia provinces. The Zambezi and Tambarara river basins in Tete are reporting above threshold levels. The water level at the Buzi, Pungue and Save basins in Sofala are above alert level too.

According to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD), 565,000 people are at-risk in Zambezia, Tete, Sofala and Nampula provinces, with Zambezia being the hardest hit. Schools will close in Zambezia on 10 March. Lifesaving supplies are being prepositioned. Tents for schools and tents for hospitals in high-risk areas as well as nutrition supplies are needed. Temporary accommodation centers have been identified, to host people who are relocated.

In February, more than 239,000 people were affected by the compounded effects of heavy rains reported in the first two weeks of February in Maputo Province, Gaza and Sofala as well as after Tropical Storm Freddy‘s first landfall in Inhambane province. Significant damage to infrastructure was reported as more than 22,000 houses were affected and almost 14,000 destroyed 60 health units flooded and 1,265km of roads were damaged. Of particular concern is damage to agriculture as 92 000 hectares of crops have been affected including in areas where there are 400,000 people who are already food insecure (IPC3).

As of 8 March, the cumulative number of cholera cases reported across the provinces of Gaza, Manica, Niassa, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia stood at 7,720 across 28 districts, this is an increase of 1,391 in the last week.

The confluence of multiple crises is compounding a severe humanitarian situation in Mozambique where two million people are already in need of humanitarian assistance and protection across the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula.