Attachments
Highlights
• Humanitarian needs were exacerbated by multiple shocks and deterioration of existing conflict affecting over 2.1 million people, at least half of whom are children.
• Two tropical storms hit the country affecting about 625,000 people and killing 129.
• UNICEF and partners supported cholera and measles vaccination campaigns reaching 6.5 million people.
• Over 1.1 million children under five were screened for malnutrition and 31,556 treated for severe acute malnutrition with UNICEF support.
• UNICEF supported over 353,000 children by providing teaching and learning materials and safe learning.
• UNICEF provided family tracing support to families separated during displacements resulting in over 2,000 children reunited with their families.
• 56 health facilities and 75 schools received basic WASH services and supplies.
• 468,075 people received access to safe drinking water.
Situation in Numbers
301,363 children displaced by conflict (IOM July 2024)
1,300,000 Children in need (OCHA HNRP Dec 2023)
2,300,000 people in need (OCHA HNRP Dec 2023)
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 2024 UNICEF Mozambique Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal outlined the need for US $114 million to sustain life-saving services for nearly 2.3 million children and families in Mozambique affected by multiple shocks, including those affected by conflict in northern Mozambique, the cholera outbreaks, El Niño-related drought, and residual needs from Cyclone Freddy. As of December 2024, UNICEF has received US $21.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), Canada, Japan, Norway, and UNICEF National Committees in China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Ireland and the United Kingdom. These funds, in addition to an allocation from UNICEF’s Global Humanitarian Thematic Funds and carry-over of funds from 2023, allowed UNICEF to meet immediate needs. However, significant gaps remained for all response programmes which affected UNICEF’s ability to meet the needs of children and their careers.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In 2024, Mozambique was affected by multiple events further exacerbating the existing humanitarian needs across the country. The conflict in Cabo Delgado province continued to cause displacement and between January and December 2024, over 257,000 people, of whom over 152,000 are children, were on the move. Over 90 per cent of the movements were forced due to fear of/and attacks. According to IOM’s July assessment of the displacement dynamics in northern Mozambique, there were 577,545 people displaced due to conflict in Cabo Delgado, of whom 52 per cent were children. This represents a one per cent decrease in IDPs since January 2024. The report also identifies 610,732 returnees who had moved back to their areas of origin; of whom 47 per cent are children.
Regarding security incidents in 2024, it is worth mentioning that the largest single displacement that we’ve seen since the start of the conflict in 2017—occurred in Chiure District in February 2024 due to attacks by non-state armed groups (NSAG) where over 98,000 people were on the move. Additionally, the attack by the NSAG in the district capital of Macomia in May resulted in humanitarian assets including cars, humanitarian supplies, laptops and motorbikes were stolen; the first-time humanitarians have been targeted. They also kidnapped humanitarian workers and held off security forces from entering the town for a sustained period.
Climate shocks contributed to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country. In 2024, the country was hit by two tropical storms, Tropical Storm Filipo on 12 March through Inhambane and Cyclone Chido on 15 December through Cabo Delgado. It is the first time in history that a cyclone hit the country in December. Both storms affected a total of nearly 625,000 people and killed 129. The combined weather events damaged/destroyed 188 health facilities and 602 schools leaving nearly 250,000 students with unsafe learning environments. In addition, in the areas severely impacted by the El Niño-induced drought, Tropical Storm Filipo and conflict, about 1.5 million people faced crisis or higher levels of food insecurity. The conditions are expected to deteriorate until the next harvest in March/April 2025 increasing the number of people facing food insecurity to 1.9 million. This situation has prompted the launch of an inter-agency appeal aimed at addressing the urgent needs of about one million drought-affected children.
The Ministry of Health reported measles outbreaks in five provinces. Nearly 50 per cent of the 743 cases were reported in Cabo Delgado, with the remaining cases in Nampula (133), Niassa (113), Sofala (82) and Zambezia (49). Among reported cases, 42 per cent of children had not received any vaccines. Moreover, since October 2024, the country reported a total cumulative of 302 cholera cases and 29 deaths, a case fatality rate of 9.6 per cent—well above emergency thresholds in Mogovolas district, Nampula province. Given political tensions and misinformation about cholera, the outbreak had not been brought under control by the end of 2024.
Following the presidential elections held on 9 October 2024 and the announcement of the results, Mozambique faced a severe crisis. The main opposition leader alleged fraud and irregularities during the election process. As a result, widespread civil unrest, demonstrations, an increase in violence, destruction of private and public facilities, the disruption of essential services and movement of goods have been reported. This had a negative impact on humanitarian response operations.