2007 Floods: Mozambique humanitarian situation update, 25-26 February
Major Developments The Cahora Bassa dam discharge rate remains at around 2,5-600 m3/s. The water levels are expected to decrease slightly over the next 24 hours in the entire Zambezi basin, despite isolated showers forecast in some areas. The provinces of Gaza, Inhambane, Manica and North Maputo are expected to have strong rain in the coming days, which will affect the levels of the rivers Save and Buzi. As of 22 February, the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) estimated that approximately 140,000 people had been displaced due to the floods (half of these are children). An estimated 87,430 people were in the accommodation centres and 52,500 in the resettlement centres that were established after the 2001 floods. The President of Mozambique is currently visiting the flood affected areas and those hit by Cyclone Favio. UNICEF is monitoring the progress of two cyclones that have formed in the Indian Ocean: Tropical Cyclone Gamede and Tropical Cyclone 16S. The trajectory of Cyclone Gamede suggests that Mozambique is not currently in danger (though experts warn that cyclones are highly unpredictable).
Needs Assessment Inhambane province. Three districts in the province of Inhambane have had their infrastructure severely affected by Cyclone Favio (housing and public services) and loss of crops - Vilanculos, Inhassoro and Govuro - and one slightly less affected: Massinga. Vilanculos. The total affected population is estimated to be 73,000 people. The Government has installed two settlement centres, but these are not being widely used, as people prefer to stay near to their homes. Health. The rural hospital in the sede has been seriously damaged and the water system is not functioning. Of the 7 health centres in the area, 2 have been damaged and 3 are unaffected. The status of the remaining 2 centres is currently unknown. Education. 69 schools have been affected, with a total of 27 classrooms partially damaged and 90 totally damaged. Water and Sanitation. The main water supply system is working. The second water supply system (recently rehabilitated) is not working, as it is dependent on the electric network grid. There are no water and sanitation facilities in the accommodation centres in the sede. Protection. No protection concerns have been reported to date. The priority needs in Vilanculos are non-food items for the affected population and the the repair of major structural damage to schools and hospitals. The Mozambican Red Cross is currently undertaking a door to door assessment to determine the exact needs. Other needs include food, water and sanitation supplies, roofing materials such as zinc sheets, medical supplies (including ARV and PMTCT drugs), plastic sheeting, tents to serve as temporary learning facilities and education supplies. Inhassoro. The total affected population is estimated to be 43,170 people. Two deaths (1 child) have been reported and 22 wounded people. Health. 2 health centres have been partially damaged and 2 completely damaged. Education. 67 classrooms have been partially damaged and 38 classrooms completely damaged, in addition to 1 boarding school (housing 275 children). Water and sanitation. The main concern is the lack of water in health facilities. Protection. No protection concerns have been reported to date. The priority needs for Inhassoro are family tents, food, tents to be used as temporary learning facilities, roofing materials and water and sanitation for health centres. Govuro. Little specific information is currently available in relation to the situation in Govuro. The available information reported by local authorities indicates an estimated affected population 7,500 people. One death has been reported and 5 wounded people. The priority needs for Govuro are food, roofing materials and tents. Massinga. The district of Massinga was not hit as badly as other districts, but localized damage has been reported. Assessments are ongoing to determine the extent of the damage. The total affected population is estimated to be 10,000 people. Sofala province. In addition to the districts affected in Inhambane province, cyclone damage is reported in Buzi, Machanga, Dondo and Chibabava in Sofala province, in relation to infrastructure, schools and health posts. The river in Buzi has reached water levels over the alert level and a number of people have been evacuated to higher ground. A search and rescue operation has been conducted in the area by boat, and the INGC will conduct an assessment of the area on 27 February. UNICEF will take part in this assessment. UNICEF Response UNICEF staff members are participating in ongoing assessments of cyclone affected areas, together with Government and other partners, in order to assess the immediate needs in terms of both supply and non-supply interventions. An additional staff member will travel to Vilanculos on 27 February. In Vilanculos, four UNICEF tents sent by the Ministry of Health were erected on 24 February in the hospital for maternity, triage and health workers. UNICEF is liaising with the Ministry of Health to ensure that medical supplies, including ARV and PMTCT drugs, are sent to the cyclone affected areas. Water trucking and installation of 16 latrines is ongoing. UNICEF has provided a car to support the assessment by the Mozambican Red Cross of the 2 health centres for which information on cyclone damage is not yet available. UNICEF has also provided water and sanitation supplies for the affected areas, including water bladders, chlorine sufficient to cover the needs of 5,000 people per day, latrine slabs and plastic sheeting sufficient to build 210 latrines for 1,000 beneficiaries. UNICEF is liaising with Empresa Municipal de Aguas to mobilise a generator for the cyclone affected areas. In Inhassoro and Govuro, UNICEF has been working with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing to oversee the delivery of water and sanitation supplies, including water bladders, chlorine and chlorofloc.
Needs Assessment The UNICEF teams based in Caia (Sofala province), Mopeia (Zambezia province) and Mutarara (Tete province) are continuing to work with Government and NGO partners to monitor the immediate and medium term needs in flood affected provinces and to ensure the implementation of appropriate supply and non-supply related interventions. The UNICEF team will also be coordinating with the OCHA representative that has recently arrived in Caia. Water and sanitation are the priority concerns in all flood affected areas. UNICEF is working with the local water authorities and other partners to agree on the division of labour to ensure that all areas are covered with WASH interventions and NGO partners such as MSF, World Vision and Oxfam are scaling up their operations to address the outstanding needs. Access in some areas – such as between Caia and Mutarara - is improving, while in other areas, particularly in Tete province, access remains a problem. Teams composed of governmental and non-governmental partners (including the Ministry of Health, SETSAN/VAC (National Food Security Secretariat), UNICEF, WFP, FAO and USAID/FEWSNET) have finalised the data collection for the multi-sectoral assessment to build upon initial assessments in flood affected areas. The final results of the assessment are expected in the coming days. UNICEF Response WASH In all provinces, UNICEF is working with Government and NGO partners to agree upon the division of labour to ensure that all centres are covered with WASH interventions. UNICEF has also been reinforcing with partners the importance of ensuring a consistent approach to latrine construction, using traditional methods and promoting community participation to ensure correct usage and increase sustainability. Health The UNICEF Health and Nutrition Officers based in Caia, Mopeia and Mutarara are all continuing to support the local health authorities in assessing the situation in relation to health in the centres:
UNICEF is also liaising with the provincial health authorities in all flood affected provinces to ensure that sufficient stocks are available and activities in place in regard to cholera preparedness. Nutrition In all flood affected provinces, activities are ongoing under the supplementary feeding programme. In Zambezia, screening has taken place in 4 centres in Mopeia and 1 in Morrumbala, through which 23 cases of moderate malnutrition and 2 cases of severe malnutrition have been identified. In Sofala, 759 children have been screened, through which 94 cases of moderate malnutrition and 10 cases of severe malnutrition (4 of them Kwashiokor) have been identified. In Tete, UNICEF is working with government and NGO partners to distribute BP5 supplies and to mobilise therapeutic milk from other provinces. UNICEF is working with the local health authorities to ensure that the appropriate treatment is provided to all malnourished children. Education In all flood affected provinces, UNICEF is continuing to work with the local education authorities and NGO partners to ensure that all affected children have access to education. In Caia, the focus has moved to ensuring the continued distribution of education supplies for Mutarara. In the Mopeia area, schooling activities are taking place in 7 centres. UNICEF is working with partners such as Save the Children to ensure that the remaining centres, for which access is currently a problem, are covered. In the Mutarara area, UNICEF is working with partners to ensure the ongoing distribution of school materials and deployment of additional teachers to the centres. Protection UNICEF is continuing to follow up with the Ministry of Interior on policing of centres in affected areas. The rapid refresher training for deployed police on protection and gender issues began on 25 February, with the training of 32 police in the Mopeia area. The training will take place in the remaining affected provinces this week. In Caia, UNICEF has been working with the District Directorate of Women and Social Action to identify vulnerable children in the centres. The preliminary results of the assessment of vulnerable children are now available, with an estimated 2,065 highly vulnerable children identified. The consolidation of data from all centres in Sofala province is ongoing. In Mopeia, activists from the Ministry of Women and Social Action and Save the Children are currently providing orientation sessions on protection issues in 4 centres, with 6 additional centres to be reached this week.
Photo essay Related links Health activists spread life-saving messages Protecting children from malaria and water-borne diseases Flood-affected children go back to school Coastal towns hard at work after Cyclone Favio Mozambique floods: Getting children back to school Mozambique floods: Preventing the spread of diseases among children in the camps 2007 Floods and Cyclone: humanitarian updates |
