Highlights
- Mozambique was hit by a second cyclone— Dikeledi—on January 13 th which brought torrential rains and strong winds to southern Nampula and northern Zambezia provinces.
- UNICEF has teams and prepositioned supplies in Cabo Delgado and Nampula to support communities affected by Cyclones Chido and Dikeledi
- UNICEF has reached over 300,000 people with cyclone response activities and supplies
- Humanitarian capacities are stretched thin given the concurrent responses required and limited resources available.
Situation in Numbers
- 454,000 people in affected districts
- At least 236,000 affected districts
- 120 deaths and 868 injured
- At least 250 schools affected
- At least 52 health facilities damaged or damaged
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF requires nearly $24.5 million to address the response and early recovery activities planned in the affected areas. UNICEF released flexible global humanitarian thematic funding, has received funds from the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund, and has received a payout of over US$3 million from UNICEF’s global parametric insurance providers under the Today and Tomorrow Initiative. Nonetheless, the gap of approximately $20 million means that critical needs will not be met.
The impact of Cyclone Chido, and now Cyclone Dikeledi, is stretching humanitarian operations and the resources available. Many of the locations requiring assistance are not included in UNICEF’s HAC 2025 appeal outlining the need for $64 million to address the humanitarian needs of 2.1 million children. As there are still three months of cyclone season ahead, the situation could deteriorate further.
Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs
Cyclone Chido made landfall on 15 December in Mecúfi district, Cabo Delgado province with winds of up to 165 km/h and heavy rains exceeding 250 mm in 24 hours. The early-season cyclone has caused widespread devastation across northern Mozambique, affecting principally Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, but other provinces and neighbouring Malawi as well. The cyclone's timing and impact underscored the increasing vulnerability of Mozambique to extreme weather events, driven in part by climate change.
The storm disrupted roads, energy, and communication networks and damaged or destroyed homes and public service buildings. UNICEF and other partners conducted multi-sector initial rapid assessments in 10 districts of Cabo Delgado and Nampula identifying needs and priority response areas. The National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) has identified nearly 454,000 people affected by Cyclone Chido. Over 250 schools and 52 health centres have been damaged or destroyed. With schools set to open at the end of January, ensuring school facilities are up and running is a priority alongside meeting basic needs. The Interagency Flash Appeal issued on 24 December calls for $88 million to support 320,000 people affected by the cyclone.
Cyclone Dikeledi struck Mozambique on January 13 bringing 200 millimetres of rain in 24 hours and winds of 150 kilometres per hour. The impact of the storm is being assessed and will take several days to be fully understood given the access constraints to, and within, the affected areas. Preliminary estimates from INGD identify over 39,000 people affected, at least 6,000 houses damaged or destroyed, and 13 health facilities and 35 schools affected.
Response efforts have been hampered by significant resource constraints and by post-election demonstrations and violence. Political tensions have negatively impacted response capacity in recent months. Though UNICEF has not been specifically targeted to date, three child protection multi-purpose centres were burned by community members. Looting and violence against UN staff during Chido distributions also caused a temporary suspension of all UN movements out of Pemba on 30-31 Decemberincluding a planned Joint Response Plan distribution of UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme. In Nampula, access to Erati and Memba districts was blocked for several weeks by protestors. In several locations of Nampula and Cabo Delgado, looting and insecurity forced agencies to suspend activities. Post-election demonstrations and violence have also disrupted the delivery and movement of goods within Mozambique.
Northern Mozambique, and in particular Cabo Delgado, has been grappling with armed conflict and an insurgency since 2017. At the height of displacement, over 1 million IDPs were registered. This number significantly decreased in the past several years as voluntary returns, driven by changing security and lack of services in the areas of displacement. The IOM/DTM reports that there are 577,545 IDPs and 610,732 returnees; roughly 52 per cent are children. Though the 2023-2024 cyclone season was relatively mild, the 2024-2025 is expected to be busy. Cyclone Chido—unique because of the time of year and position— highlighted the need for additional resources and support for Mozambique’s simultaneous humanitarian crises. While the country’s record-breaking 2023 cholera outbreak ended in 2024, a new outbreak was declared in October 2024 in Mogovolas, Nampula and is not yet under control. There are an additional 24 districts with AWD cases reported which are being monitored.