Attachments
Highlights
• More than 283,000 people across 17 districts were impacted by cyclone Dikeledi.
• Nearly 2 million people are projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity during the lean season
• UNICEF mobilized 190 Integrated Health Mobile Brigades to 171 most vulnerable communities, providing health services to close to 17,000 children under five years old.
• UNICEF reached around 18,800 children under-five with nutritional screenings, 182 children with lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition and over 6,650 children with Vitamin A supplementation.
• UNICEF reached 3,000 children by distributing construction materials to 12 schools to begin the 2025 school year in restored classrooms.
• Nearly 3,000 children, who survived violence in conflict-affected areas, received individual case management and follow-up support.
• UNICEF reached 8,300 children and families with essential hygiene supplies through the provision of over 1,650 WASH kits.
Situation in Numbers
744,000 children in need in conflict areas (OCHA HNRP Dec 2024)
1,300,000 people in need (OCHA HNRP Dec 2024)
577,545 Conflict-related internally displaced people (IOM July 2024)
610,732 People returned to areas of origin (IOM July 2024)
Funding Overview and Partnerships
The UNICEF Mozambique Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) is appealing for US $64 million to sustain life-saving services for nearly 2.5 million children and families in Mozambique, who have been impacted by multiple shocks, including conflict in northern Mozambique, cholera outbreaks, El Niño-related droughts, and storms. As of January 2025, UNICEF had received US $1.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Ireland, and Committees for UNICEF in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. These funds, along with an allocation from UNICEF’s Global Humanitarian Thematic Funds and the carryover of funds from 2024, enabled UNICEF to address immediate needs. However, significant gaps remain across all response programs, affecting UNICEF's ability to fully meet the needs of children and their caregivers.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
On January 13, Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi (Category III) made landfall in Mozambique, specifically in Nampula province, bringing strong winds (with gusts reaching 195 km/h) and heavy rainfall (over 150 mm in 24 hours). The cyclone affected more than 283,000 people across 17 districts, seven of which had at least 16,500 people impacted, and resulted in 11 fatalities. This was the second cyclone within a month to cause significant damage to critical infrastructure, affecting 43 health facilities, more than 700 classrooms, and 11 water supply systems, among other infrastructure. The damage to school infrastructure impacted over 101,000 children and 1,382 teachers, while damage to road infrastructure restricted access to several districts, hampering humanitarian efforts to assist the affected population. The cyclone also displaced over 1,500 people temporarily (for approximately two weeks), who were hosted in four temporary accommodation centers.
The ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, remains active, volatile, and unpredictable. In January, more than 4,700 people were on the move, of whom 3,000 were children. Of those on the move, 58 per cent moved voluntarily, while 42 per cent were forced to flee. Over 2,000 people moved intending to return to their areas of origin.
Mozambique is also facing a cholera outbreak that began in 2024. As of 22 January, there have been a cumulative of over 300 cholera cases since October 2024, concentrated in Nampula province. The outbreak has resulted in 29 deaths, with 25 reported at the community level and four at health facilities. In response, the Ministry of Health, with support from partners, conducted a cholera vaccination campaign in Mogovolas district from 6 to 11 January, reaching 198,000 people, exceeding the target of close to 169,900.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), released on 20 January, indicates that during the lean season from October 2024 to March 2025, almost 2 million people are projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). Of this, approximately 212,000 people are likely to experience IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), while 1.7 million people are expected to be in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis). This represents a deterioration in the situation, with an increase of over 30 per cent in the number of people projected to be in IPC Phase 3 or above. The key drivers of this worsening situation include the El Niño-induced drought, ongoing conflict and insecurity in the north, and high food prices5 . The impact of El Niño has led to a significant rise in acute malnutrition prevalence among children under-five, with the highest increases in Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) observed in Zambezia (two districts with GAM rates of 10-12 per cent) and Manica (one district with GAM at 8.5 per cent), indicating severe nutritional stress6 .