The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) said that Cyclone Jude, which passed through Mozambique, killed 16 people and affected more than 302,000 others, corresponding to 65,000 families in the provinces of Tete, Manica, Zambézia, Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado, in the centre and north of the country, respectively.
The figures presented by the organisation and quoted by Lusa indicate that at least two people are reported missing, as well as 70,000 houses being totally or partially destroyed and 988 flooded.
‘The number of schools and classrooms damaged has risen to 247 and 674 respectively, affecting more than 90,000 pupils and 1182 teachers. There are also 18 bridges, 41 aqueducts and 101,000 agricultural areas affected by Cyclone Jude.’
The INGD also pointed to the destruction of at least 72 health facilities, 68 damaged boats, eight affected supply systems, 1,224 toppled electricity pylons and 2,859 kilometres of affected roads.
The National Meteorological Institute said that tropical cyclone Jude entered Mozambique through the district of Mossuril, in Nampula, with winds of 140 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 195 kilometres per hour.
Mozambique is in the middle of the rainy season, which runs from October to April, a period in which cyclones Chido and Dikeledi have already been recorded. These phenomena affected more than 700,000 people and destroyed public and private infrastructure.
The country is considered one of the most severely affected by global climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, but also prolonged periods of severe drought.
