The United Nations (UN) has warned of “critically low” funding in the face of the high level of affected people in need of humanitarian aid due to the passage of Cyclone Jude, which hit the country in the first months of this year.
“Despite ongoing efforts, significant gaps and inconsistencies continue to hamper the ability to meet the needs of affected populations. Funding for the humanitarian response in Mozambique remains critically low,” said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a statement quoted by Lusa.
According to the organization, 63.7 million dollars (4 billion meticals) are needed to provide assistance and protection to 778,000 people in need by next June. “The lightning appeal continues without funding, with the humanitarian response depending on resources provided by a limited number of donors.”
According to the report, from the cyclone’s passage until April 11, the UN shelter cluster reached 16% of its target, providing non-food items and tarpaulins, while the water, sanitation and hygiene sector reached 6%, through hygiene promotion, water transportation and the distribution of cleaning kits in communities affected by the natural disaster.
The document added that in Cabo Delgado alone – which has also been facing an armed insurgency since 2017 – the humanitarian response and appeal plan due to the drought was only 21% funded.
Cyclone Jude in Mozambique caused considerable damage to infrastructure, including roads, water systems, electricity, health facilities and schools
“In the food security and livelihoods sector, 19% of the target population was affected. However, this achievement represents one week of food distribution, while sustained assistance will be needed until the harvest season,” it stressed.
The UN agency clarified that due to “serious shortcomings”, there is no capacity to transfer resources between aid operations, leaving “critical needs unmet.”
Mozambique is in the middle of the rainy season, which runs from October to April, a period in which, in addition to cyclone Chido, which hit the country on December 14, there were also cyclones Dikeledi, on January 13, and Jude, on March 10, totaling around 170 deaths.
Cyclone Jude entered the country through the district of Mossuril, killing at least 43 people, including 41 in Nampula, and also affecting Tete, Manica, Zambézia, Niassa and Cabo Delgado. The latest update from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) put the number of people affected at at least 384,000.
“The lightning appeal continues without funding, with the humanitarian response relying on resources provided by a limited number of donors”
The weather phenomenon also caused significant damage to public and private infrastructure, including 81 health facilities, 15 public buildings, 20 bridges, 43 aqueducts and 101,239 agricultural areas compromised, covering 4,146 farmers.
In the education sector, the damage affected 263 schools and 711 classrooms, affecting more than 94,000 pupils and 1,222 teachers. The storm caused 1,318 electricity pylons to fall, affecting the power supply in several regions.
Damage was also recorded on 2929 kilometers of roads and 6713 kilometers of secondary and tertiary roads, making access to various locations difficult.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by global climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, but also prolonged periods of severe drought.
