Attachments
Highlights
- Climate shocks are taking a relentless toll on children. Cyclone Jude – third cyclone hitting the country in less than three months – has affected over 1 million people, worsening existing vulnerabilities of children.
- UNICEF, with partners, reached over 201,900 children with malnutrition screening of whom, nearly 6,800 children received lifesaving treatment, 84,000 children and families with safe drinking water, 67,600 children and caregivers with psychosocial support, 79,600 children with access to education, and 63,800 children and women with access to primary healthcare.
- UNICEF HAC Appeal for 2025 has a funding gap of USD 37.5 million. The cost of inaction is high: 2 million children risk missing critical vaccination, 572,800 children and families will not have access to safe drinking water, 335,500 people will not be able to access psychosocial support and children with severe acute malnutrition will not survive without the treatment they need.
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
The UNICEF Mozambique Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) is appealing for USD 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 31 March 2025, UNICEF had received USD 8.4 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Ireland, Germany, Japan 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 AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
On 10 March 2025, the country was struck by Cyclone Jude, the third cyclone to make landfall within four months. Cyclone Jude entered through Mossuril District in Nampula Province, bringing strong winds (up to 195 km/h) and heavy rainfall (over 250 mm in 24 hours). The cyclone affected more than 1 million people and resulted in 49 fatalities across eight provinces. Nampula Province was the hardest hit, accounting for 99 per cent of the affected population. Notably, Nampula was also impacted by all three cyclones during this period: Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude. Cyclone Jude caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, including 88 health facilities, eight water supply systems, over 650 km of road network,1,585 classrooms, disrupting education for nearly 164,000 students and affecting over 2,400 teachers5 . The road network, especially in Nampula and surrounding provinces, was heavily damaged or destroyed, isolating several districts. This includes the disruption of access to Cabo Delgado via the main N1 highway, affecting the supply chain for essential goods such as fuel, food, and non-food items transported from the southern and central regions of the country.
Across the 2024/2025 rain season, the three cyclones (Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude) collectively affected nearly 1.8 million people, caused 180 deaths, damaged 183 health facilities, damaged over 4,600 classrooms, affecting over 294,000 students6 .
Meanwhile, in Cabo Delgado, attacks and displacement continued. On 31 March, more than 10,700 people, of whom 5,140 (48 per cent) were children, were displaced in Ancuabe District due to violence and fear of attacks by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs). The displaced families sought refuge in both displacement sites and host communities within the Ancuabe district7 .
A cholera outbreak remains active in two provinces: Nampula with four districts and Zambezia with two districts, reporting nearly 2,500 cumulative cases and 49 deaths between 17 October 2024 and 31 March 2025. Over 87 per cent of the cases were reported in Nampula province. In March alone, 1,820 cholera cases and 35 deaths (15 occurring in the community) were recorded across Nampula and Zambezia Provinces8 .