2007 Floods: Mozambique humanitarian situation update, 15 February
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© UNICEF Mozambique/Lisa Doherty |
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Aerial view of flooded villages in Caia (province of Sofala). February 2007. |
Major Developments
The Cahora Bassa dam reduced its discharge rate to 5,500 m3/s as of 14 February. The water level in Zumbo (Tete province) has increased, in addition to that of the Revúbuè and Muira rivers. Reduced rains and controlled dam discharges have allowed water levels to decrease in Tete City, while levels in Mutarara, Caia and Marromeu further downstream continue to rise, due to dam discharges and heavy inflows from the Revúbue and Chire rivers.
The National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) has reported that discharge from the Kariba dam in Zambia is likely to increase but there is strong coordination between the two countries and the low levels of the Cahora Bassa dam on the Mozambican side mean that the additional inflow can be accommodated.
As of 15 February, the INGC estimates that approximately 86,269 people have been displaced due to the floods. An estimated 37,084 people are currently in the accommodation centres and 49,185 in the resettlement centres that were established after the 2001 floods.
Needs Assessment
The UNICEF team working with the INGC, local authorities and NGO partners in Caia (Sofala province) is continuing to visit accommodation centres in the affected areas to assess immediate needs and monitor emergency response activities. Priority needs identified include food, tents, education materials, fuel for transport, hygiene supplies, water treatment plants, jerry cans and buckets.
An additional UNICEF team arrived in Quelimane City (Zambezia province) on 14 February. Partners are reporting that the main needs in the accommodation centres are seeds, water and tents for education. In Morrumbala (Zambezia province), two accommodation centres are housing 240 people from Mutarara (Tete province). The UNICEF team was informed that 97 of these people are from Malawi, displaced by flooding on the Chire river.
UNICEF Zambia has confirmed that 200 families have crossed the border into Zambia, although the families are from communities in which cross-border migration is common due to trade and they have been accommodated by local communities. They have also moved with some household items. No major health concerns have been reported and no children unaccompanied by parents or caregivers have been registered. UNICEF Mozambique and UNICEF Zambia have agreed to continue sharing information to monitor the situation.
A third UNICEF team arrived in Tete City (Tete province) on 14 February. Multi-sectoral coordination meetings are taking place on a daily basis, with the participation of governmental and non-governmental partners. Priority needs identified for the accommodation centres in Tete include education supplies, water tanks, plastic sheeting, chlorine tablets, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and ‘BP5’, a type of compact food.
Planning is ongoing for the multi-sectoral assessment to be conducted, to build on the ongoing initial assessments, in affected areas from 18-23 February by teams including representatives of Government, UN and NGOs.
UNICEF Response
WASH
- 15 rigid water tanks are being sent from Tete to Mutarara and an additional 20 from Beira to Caia, to be distributed in identified locations.
- Of the 5,000 jerry cans and 5,000 buckets ordered, 2,000 of each will arrive in Caia on 15 February for immediate distribution.
- Reports from the accommodation centres indicate that plastic sheeting provided by UNICEF for water and sanitation activities is also being used for shelter. UNICEF teams are reviewing the additional needs in this area and preparing orders to complement supplies from the Red Cross.
- Under the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) ‘cluster approach’, UNICEF, other UN and NGO partners are finalising water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) cluster inputs for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) proposal to be consolidated on 15 February and submitted on 16 February (see section below on Inter-Agency Collaboration and Key Partnerships). The NGOs participating in the water, sanitation and hygiene cluster are: Oxfam, Samaritan’s Purse, Médecins sans Frontières Luxembourg, International Relief and Development and Food for the Hungry International.
Health
- 10,000 long-lasting insecticide-treated nets are arriving in Caia on 15 February for immediate distribution in affected areas. An additional 10,000 nets are being sent from Tete to Mutarara in partnership with World Vision.
- Spraying for malaria has been completed in the districts in Zambezia province most affected by displacement and trained teams have been sent to other affected areas.
- 270 hygiene education and cholera prevention “flip charts” are being distributed to leaders in the accommodation centres in Caia and Mutarara.
- 40,000 information leaflets on cholera have been ordered. It is important to note that no cases of cholera have been reported in affected areas.
Nutrition
- 17 metric tonnes of ‘BP5’ - a compact food - will arrive in Beira, Chimoio (Manica province), Tete and Quelimane on 15 February.
- Under the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) ‘cluster approach’, UNICEF, other UN and NGO partners are finalising nutrition cluster inputs for the CERF proposal. The NGOs participating in the nutrition cluster are: Save the Children Alliance, CARE, World Vision, Food for the Hungry International, World Relief and Samaritan’s Purse.
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© UNICEF Mozambique/Thierry Delvigne-Jean |
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Tents built with UNICEF plastic sheeting in Chupanga camp, near Caia (province of Sofala). February 2007. |
Education
- 31 tents arrived in Maputo on 14 February for immediate dispatch to Caia to be used as temporary education facilities. The transportation of the tents was funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO).
- An additional 2 tents arrived in Caia from Beira on 14 February for immediate distribution. The tents are likely to be used for education activities.
- 18,900 learners’ kits, 880 teachers’ kits and 2,000 school kits have been sent to Caia for immediate distribution.
- 2,880 teachers’ kits and 6,000 learners’ kits are being distributed by Save the Children in Zambezia province.
- 5,000 learners’ kits will arrive in Quelimane on 15 February for immediate distribution.
- Under the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) ‘cluster approach’, Save the Children Alliance, UNICEF, other UN and NGO partners are finalising education cluster inputs for the CERF proposal. The NGOs participating in the education cluster are: World Vision, Concern, Africare and Samaritan’s Purse.
Protection and Psychosocial Support
- UNICEF is in contact with the police at national level to ensure that accommodation centres are being visited by police trained in gender-based violence.
- The Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Women and Social Action are currently assessing the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in the accommodation centres and will share information as soon as assessments have been completed.
- Reports were received from the International Red Cross late on 14 February that flood waters are exposing landmines in affected areas. UNICEF Mozambique has contacted the UNICEF Angola office, which is providing information, education and communication materials on mine risk education in Portuguese. UNICEF is also in contact with Handicap International, which is proposing a rapid assessment of the affected areas and possible mine risk education activities.
- 5,000 learners’ kits will arrive in Quelimane on 15 February for immediate distribution.
- Under the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) ‘cluster approach’, Save the Children Alliance, UNICEF, other UN and NGO partners are finalising protection cluster inputs for the CERF proposal. The NGOs participating in the protection cluster are: World Vision, Africare, Handicap and Samaritan’s Purse.
