Mozambique humanitarian situation update, 19 March 2008
Major developments Cyclone Jokwe On 8 March, the Government declared a Red Alert, the highest level for natural disasters, for coastal districts in Nampula province, after tropical cyclone Jokwe hit the northern coast of Mozambique. Preliminary assessment results indicate that an estimated 12,000 households have been affected by the cyclone in six districts, including Ilha, Mogovolas, Mossuril, Mogincual, Angoche and Moma. An estimated 800 classrooms were partially or completely destroyed. An estimated 33 health posts and other public buildings were also said to have been damaged. While these numbers have yet to be confirmed, the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) reports that approximately 48,000 people have been affected by the cyclone. A total of seven deaths have so far been confirmed. Floods Despite a significant amount of rainfall over the last three days, all rivers in the flood-affected areas remain below alert level. As a result of the decrease in water levels and successful response efforts since early January, on 11 March the Government officially downgraded its emergency status from Red Alert level to Yellow for all flood-affected areas. Overall, the estimated number of people affected by the 2008 floods is 113,571, with a total of 20 reported deaths from flooding, and a further 15 from cholera in flood-affected Mutarara. The government authorities remain on alert as the rainy season usually extends until end of March. The rainfall caused by Cyclone Jokwe did not cause any further flooding. Security in Southern Mozambique Security Phase 1, which was declared on 18 February for Maputo City and the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane, is currently under review with the intention of being downgraded to Phase 0. UNICEF response to cyclone Jokwe UNICEF and other humanitarian partners have deployed staff to Nampula province to conduct preliminary assessments in six districts, including Ilha de Mocambique, Mossuril, Mogincual, Mogovolas, Moma and Angoche and assess needs for emergency response activities and supplies. Findings indicate that over 800 classrooms and 70,000 learners have been affected in these districts. As an immediate response, UNICEF has sent materials such as basic WASH and health supplies (water bladders, certeza, chlorine, tarpaulin, plastic buckets and health tents) to Nampula district authorities. In terms of education response, UNICEF is deploying two Education Specialists to support education district authorities and humanitarian partners with the distribution of tents and other education materials in the affected areas. Over the coming two weeks, UNICEF will provide 44 school tents and 68,000 learners’ kits to affected schools in the seven districts in order to ensure that access to education can be restored as quickly as possible. An additional 30 school tents and 1,000 teachers’ kits have been procured and are expected to be distributed over the coming weeks. UNICEF response to the floods Management and coordination Following the completion of supply distribution, UNICEF phased out its Mutarara and Mopeia field bases on 16 March; the Caia base will also close its operations by 25 March. A roaming team will continue to monitor longer-term WASH and health activities in all affected areas, as well as providing technical assistance to the local authorities, until end of April. Health and nutrition Incidences of cholera continue to decrease across the district of Mutarara with only two news cases reported on 19 March, bringing the total of cases to 1026; the total number of deaths remains at 15. UNICEF continues to support the district health authorities to monitor cholera cases in all five Cholera Treatment Centres (CTC) in operation in the district. District Health Authorities, with support from the Nutrition Cluster, continue to conduct screening activities in the flood-affected districts across the central provinces. Although screening in certain districts has been completed, activities are ongoing in Sofala, Tete Zambezia and Manica provinces. More than 17,000 children under-five have been screened so far, of which approximately 1,550 children were found to be moderately malnourished, and subsequently received food supplementation. A total of 110 children were reported as severely malnourished and were referred to district hospitals for therapeutic feeding. Nutritional screening is part of the integrated health package, including Vitamin A supplementation, immunisation and de-worming, of which approximately 7,000 children have benefited so far. In addition, vaccination activities continue in previously inaccessible areas in Mutarara district, with the support of district health authorities and Cluster partner MSF. UNICEF and partners have confirmed delivery of 58,447 nets directly to families resettled in the affected areas. Water and sanitation UNICEF and Cluster partners will be rehabilitating and/or constructing over 100 water points. Of this number, UNICEF is supporting the drilling of 55 new water points (20 in Zambezia, 20 in Tete and 15 Sofala), and contractors have already been selected, with drilling activities to begin shortly in all three provinces. Technical assistance is being provided to provincial and district authorities for the management, maintenance and storage of emergency WASH equipment for pre-positioning for future emergencies. UNICEF and WASH Cluster partners continue to prioritise sanitation and hygiene activities to prevent cholera outbreaks and acute watery diarrhoea. To date, a total of 17,240 people in resettlement centres have access to adequate sanitation through construction of 3,448 family latrines and a total of 37,020 people in transit centres have access to 1,851 communal latrines. Given the urgent need to scale up efforts in the sanitation area, additional activities during the recovery phase will focus on hygiene promotion and provision of support to communities in the construction of latrines. UNICEF WASH will continue to support partners through regular programme activities and in the context of the National Sanitation Campaign. The distribution of emergency WASH supplies (including supplies received through OCHA from Brindisi) is ongoing and distributed goods are being used in all resettlement and transit centres. 42,000 families have received soap from the WASH Cluster to promote good hygiene practices. Chlorine, soap, certeza, jerricans and buckets have been distributed in the Inhangoma area of Mutarara which had been inaccessible until last week. Education Distribution of school supplies is now nearly complete as materials for inaccessible areas including Inhangoma and Sabandar have been received. The total number of learners’ kits distributed by UNICEF and Cluster partners in flood-affected areas is now 77,750, in addition to 599 teachers’ kits and 147 school kits already distributed. As distribution is nearly completed, Education Cluster partners have initiated training activities for teachers and School Council members, as well as mobilisation activities for building latrines, procurement of blackboards and for incorporation of disaster preparedness into lessons. To date, 34 of 37 teachers have returned to their schools in Mugurumba and Benejueque in Mopeia district, enabling the school year to resume in these transit centres. Teachers have been supported through the provision of 200 family tents and household kits. Protection The delivery of basic materials for the most vulnerable households affected by the floods is almost complete, with the final 1,500 emergency kits currently being distributed in Mutarara district. In total, 7,152 kits will have been distributed in resettlement camps in all five affected provinces. Cluster partners have accelerated the implementation of recreational activities in targeted areas. In the Zambezia area, a total of 18 Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) have been established so far and in Mutarara district two Child Friendly spaces have been set up by Protection Cluster partners. Approximately 4,000 children have been served by these centres. Training of CFS volunteers has been conducted on-site as well as in a special two day training session for Protection Cluster partners. Eighty recreation kits were supplied to partners for distribution in the centres between January and March. A joint monitoring team of UNICEF/Save the Children staff visited the flood affected areas to meet with partners and assess the response to date. A key component in this mission was meeting with police personnel in some of the resettlement camps as well as in the Police Command Post. Additional police engagement and presence was facilitated through UNICEF support and training. The mission identified successes as well as gaps in the response and will be following up with the Central Police Command to incorporate lessons learnt in the government emergency contingency plan. A full day workshop will be held to address these issues in late April 2008. Logistics and telecommunications support The Logistics Clusters’ helicopter services will stop running on 19 March, while trucks and boats used by Cluster partners will remain in operations until end of March. Warehouses provided by WFP will also be available until end of the month. The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster is preparing to close its activities in all common operational areas in the flood-affected districts. The VSAT in Mopeia base was dismantled and taken back to Maputo. In Caia, Cluster partners are shutting down the HCT network without disturbing CENOE operations. Inter-agency collaboration and key partnerships A Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Secretariat mission to Mozambique to review CERF assistance to the emergency was carried out from 11-15 March. The mission met with UNICEF on 12 March in Maputo and on 13 March met with field based staff from UNICEF and other partner organisations and INGC, in Caia. The CERF mission, accompanied by UNICEF and WFP, also visited a resettlement centre in order to observe how CERF funds had been used during the emergency response. For more information, please contact: Thierry Delvigne-Jean Lynda DeGuire Lisa Doherty Annelien Groten
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