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Mozambique humanitarian situation update, 25 January 2008.
Major Developments
As of the 25 January, the levels of the Zambeze, Buzi, Save and Pungue rivers are all stable or slightly decreasing. The Zambeze and Buzi remain above alert levels.
Discharges from the Cahora Bassa Dam have decreased to 3,600 cubic meters per second.
During the coming days, moderate rainfall is expected in northern and central Mozambique.
19,340 households (approximately 91,955 people) have been displaced as a result of the floods. Newly displaced people continue to arrive through rescue operations and sensitization efforts.
A total of 83,282 ha of arable land are lost.
Summary of Assessments
Doa – Fortuna, Sabandara, Cambata, Missoche, Ankwaze, Tchikumba Resettlement Centres
- UNICEF partners Oxfam, MSF-B and INGC carried out a rapid assessment in six resettlement centres in Doa, Mutarara district. Approximately 1,738 families (8,700 people) are reported to have resettled in this area.
- Ankwaze is currently the only resettlement centre with access to safe water, with three water pumps operational. People living in the other five resettlement centres are fetching water from the river. In addition, dwellers in Fortuna, Sabandara and Cambata resettlement centres do not have access to sanitation facilities.
- It was noted that in Fortuna and Ankwaze resettlement centres, children have access to a primary school. School materials however will need to be provided.
- Fortuna, Sabandara and Cambata resettlement centres are close to Tambara (Manica province), where resettled people from the three centres are currently accessing health services. The assessment team found one health centre operational in Ankwaze, which also serves the community living in Tchikumba resettlement centre.
- It was reported that Missoche does not have access to a health centre. The resettlement centre only has a community health worker and shares three activists with Ankwaze and Tchikumba.
UNICEF Response
Management and coordination
- In Caia, the WASH working group, which includes UNICEF, the District Health Department (DDS) and other cluster partners, has started working in centres where newly displaced families are registered. In Mutarara, a WASH group was also recently established, with UNICEF currently coordinating activities.
- The UNICEF Mopeia team is working in close collaboration with the Centre for Emergency Operations (COE), which has a number of committees in place (risk management, plot re-allocation, rescue, registration, health, WASH and conflict management) that meet regularly.
Health and Nutrition
- In resettlement centres near Caia, UNICEF, the DDS and World Relief will be carrying out nutritional screening activities to determine the number of children that need to be enrolled in a supplementary feeding programme.
- A rapid nutrition assessment (MUAC) was conducted in Mandua, Bawe and Charre-Sede resettlement centres, jointly by DDS and UNICEF field staff. Out of 429 children, 27 were found to be moderately malnourished, and subsequently given corn soya blend (CSB) as part of the supplementary feeding programme. One child was assessed as severely malnourished and referred to the health centre for therapeutic feeding.
- Malaria cases have been reported in some of the resettlement centres. Malaria nets are being distributed and the house spraying programme is under way. Other malaria prevention initiatives are on-going, including multimedia mobile units, community theatre activities, distribution of IEC materials and community radio broadcasting of radio spots, which are carried out by UNICEF, CVM and DDS.
- Multimedia mobile units, which include cholera and HIV prevention activities, are on-going in Caia resettlement centres, and are expected to start in Mutarara and Mopeia resettlement centres next week. In addition, community theatre activities covering cholera prevention, hygiene promotion, malaria and HIV prevention are carried out in most resettlement centres.
- In partnership with DDS and CVM, community radios are broadcasting messages on malaria and cholera prevention, as well as purification and storage of water, in Mutarara and Caia resettlement centres.
Water and Sanitation
- A water treatment plant and a 10,000 litre bladder are now operational in Mpane, Mutarara district. 12 local technicians were trained to operate water treatment plants – three in Charre, three in Inhangoma and six in Mutarara.
- A distribution plan for WASH supplies has been developed by the WASH working group in Caia. The plan will be updated regularly, in consultation with partners in the field.
- The national water authorities and the WASH Cluster are developing a concrete emergency response plan which will be discussed and finalised in a meeting to take place in Caia from 24-27 January. The plan will take into consideration all WASH-related issues including medium-term needs.
Education
- In Mutarara district, assessments were conducted with District Education authorities staff to identify appropriate sites for school tents and latrines in Bawe and Mpane resettlement centres.
- UNICEF and partners are supporting community theatre groups to conduct girls’ education awareness activities, which started this week in three resettlement centres in Caia district.
- The Ministry of Education has confirmed that a sufficient number of teachers will be allocated to resettlement centres. This is to ensure that access to and quality of education are provided to all new learners arriving in the resettlement centres.
Protection
- UNICEF and partners are supporting the Ministry of Interior to develop an action plan for the deployment of an additional 15 police staff in the Caia area. The action plan will outline the roles and responsibilities of the police, which will include assisting in the preventing, monitoring and reporting cases of sexual abuse and violence in the resettlement centres.
- Training of local officials and partners on protection issues including violence against women is on-going in Tete province.
- The number of Protection Cluster members in the field is increasing. With UNICEF support, activities implemented include identification and registration of orphans and vulnerable children, and sensitisation on child protection and gender-based violence.
Logistics and telecommunication support
- Two temporary warehouses have been erected in Caia and a third has been requested. WFP and UNICEF are currently sharing warehouse space and a plan to fence the compound to ensure security is in place.
- The Logistics Cluster is preparing a delivery plan that includes road, air (helicopter) and river (barge) transport.
- Currently all IT and telecommunication services are fully operational in Caia, Mopeia and Mutarara. UNICEF provides data services to INGC and humanitarian partners, while WFP is responsible for voice services.
Inter-Agency Collaboration and Key Partnerships
- The Humanitarian Country Team will be meeting with donors on 28 January to review the Sub-regional Request.
- The UNICEF and UNAIDS Representatives are currently visiting the affected areas and will return 25 January. The visit included a meeting with the INGC director to review coordination and logistics mechanisms for the emergency response.
For more information, please contact:
Thierry Delvigne-Jean
Communication Specialist
Tel: +258 82 3121820
tdelvignejean@unicef.org
Lisa Doherty
Emergency Officer
Tel: +258 82 3179160
ldoherty@unicef.org
Annelien Groten
UNICEF Emergency Situation Centre
Tel: +258 84 2354355
agroten@unicef.org
Lynda DeGuire
UNICEF Emergency Situation Centre
Tel: +258 82 784 9501
ldeguire@unicef.org
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