Cyclone Chido: UNICEF supports victims in the most affected districts in Cabo Delgado

Mecufi, Cabo Delgado Province - Albertina Momade, 44, a mother of four, narrowly escaped harm when her house collapsed during Cyclone Chido in the district of Mecufi.

"It all started with heavy rain all night and until then we weren't scared. But when that wind started to really blow I started to get scared. We decided to get out of the house to look for a safe place to stay because our plates were shaking a lot. That's when I felt something push me hard into a tree and when I looked behind me my whole house fell to the ground. Everything, walls, ceiling, everything fell to the ground," Albertina Momade recounted.

To support cyclone victims like Albertina, UNICEF has mobilized resources for victims in the three most affected districts: Mecufi, Chiúre, and Metuge. This includes humanitarian assistance kits and essential medicines for the district hospital and Murebué health centre, both devastated by the cyclone, to help minimize the tropical storm's impact on their lives.

Albertina was one of the beneficiaries and she received hygiene kits from UNICEF, including a water purifier, crucial for protecting her family from diarrheal diseases.

"When we leave home, we can't take much so these materials we've received will help us a lot. We have children and with these rains and a lot of people in the one place, it's easy to catch diseases. So making sure we put it in the drinking water is very good for everyone's health, but especially for the children," Albertina said.

So far, UNICEF has supported the Mecufi district with tents that can be used as temporary health centres, dignity kits, buckets, soap, and recreational kits for the children.