Situation Report on Tropical Cyclone Jude: Mozambique’s…

Tropical Cyclone Jude made landfall in Mozambique on March 10, 2025, causing significant damage and displacements in several provinces. Humanitarian response efforts are currently hindered by the aftermath of previous cyclones. Temporary accommodation facilities have been established, but most lack formal recognition. Urgent needs include food, water, sanitation, and health services, with a focus on improving living conditions and educational recovery for displaced families.

According to the National Institute for Disaster and Risk Reduction Management, a low-pressure system in the southwestern Indian Ocean developed into Tropical Cyclone Jude on March 6, 2025. The cyclone made landfall on March 10 in Mossuril, Nampula province, with extreme winds reaching 195 km/h and over 250 mm of intense rainfall within 24 hours, significantly impacting districts in Cabo Delgado and Zambézia provinces. The aftermath resulted in extensive infrastructure damage, loss of life, injuries, community displacement, and amplified humanitarian needs in both urban and rural areas.

The humanitarian response capacities in northern Mozambique are currently strained, following the devastation caused by Cyclones Chido in December 2024 and Dikeledi in January 2025. On March 8, the Technical Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management activated anticipatory measures for floods and cyclones, triggering CCCM responses on March 9 in Angoche and Mogincual. The CCCM undertook preparedness activities, such as pre-positioning necessary tools and collaborating with disaster risk reduction committees to bolster support from INGD.

Local authorities have activated accommodation centers in several districts of Nampula and Zambézia provinces due to the cyclone’s impact, deploying site management teams for effective needs assessments and coordination. Assessments revealed 59 temporary accommodation facilities across nine districts in Nampula and one in Zambézia, which are hosting displaced populations. However, many of these sites lack formal recognition, necessitating enhanced collaboration among the CCCM Cluster, DTM teams, CLGRD, and local authorities for accurate mapping and assistance.

Many families have resorted to night commuting, taking refuge in temporary facilities such as barracks, classrooms, churches, and health centers while attempting to rebuild or create makeshift shelters. Accordingly, critical needs for food, water, shelter, health services, sanitation, hygiene, education, and nutrition remain urgent. It is crucial to improve living conditions for those in temporary accommodation by ensuring dignified environments, strengthening coordination mechanisms, and installing essential services such as handwashing stations and communal toilets to alleviate assistance delays.

The cyclone has severely disrupted communities, damaging schools and repurposing them as shelters, which ultimately delays children’s educational reinstatement. There is an imperative need for coordinated support for displaced families and strategies for education recovery. Partners are urged to engage proactively, coordinate effectively, and incorporate educational needs into the response plans to mitigate the cyclone’s long-term consequences. Furthermore, the CCCM Cluster consistently updates the list of temporary accommodation facilities in partnership with DTM and local authorities, even as families depart these sites, resulting in expected planned and unplanned deactivations due to challenging conditions.

In conclusion, Tropical Cyclone Jude has inflicted considerable damage in Mozambique, exacerbating existing humanitarian challenges. The immediate need for adequate shelter, food, water, and sanitation for affected populations is paramount. Enhanced coordination and proactive engagement among partners are critical to effectively address the urgent conditions and support long-term recovery, particularly in education and living standards for vulnerable communities.

Original Source: reliefweb.int