Current assessments show that the storm destroyed or damaged more than 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and affected more than 90,000 children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) speak on Tuesday.
Classrooms were destroyed; damaged infrastructure
According to Latest situation reportAt least 174,000 people have been affected but the number could rise as assessments continue.
In addition to damaged homes, at least 186,000 classrooms were destroyed and 20 medical facilities were affected after the storm made landfall on Sunday.
Typhoon Chido struck near the city of Pemba in Cabo Delgado, blowing off roofs, damaging civilian infrastructure and leveling electrical and communications systems.
“Mozambique is considered one of the countries most affected in the world by climate change and children experienced several life-threatening emergencies before Typhoon Chido, including conflict, drought, and disease outbreaks,” said Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique.
Ms. Eagleton added that UNICEF – along with other UN agencies, governments, NGOs and local partners – is “responding and prioritizing decisive action to with urgent humanitarian action despite the enormous challenges facing children in Mozambique.”
Seven years of conflict
Cabo Delgado has endured at least seven years of brutal conflict, leaving more than 1.3 million people internally displaced, 80% of whom are women and children.
For many people, Typhoon Chido has caused new hardship, washing away what they had tried to rebuild, according to United Nations agencies in the region.
The boys look at the damage caused by Typhoon Chido.
The cyclone also swept through Nampula and Niassa provinces, leaving more than 25,000 families without power and damaging two water facilities.
In a region already battling a cholera outbreak, the latest devastation presents a worrying possibility that the outbreak will become more severe, UNICEF added.
World Health Organization (WHO) have experts in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, assisting authorities in conducting health assessments to identify and address immediate needs.
Rural areas are affected
Within the first 48 hours, the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCRhas provided aid to people in need in Pemba, where more than 2,600 people received emergency relief and essential items such as blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and emergency shelter supplies.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday in Geneva, UNCHR spokesman Eujin Byun said that “although the full extent of damage in rural areas remains unclear, Preliminary assessments show that about 190,000 people need urgent humanitarian assistance33 schools were affected and nearly 10,000 homes were destroyed. In some villages, very few houses are still standing”.
The UN is ready
Posted on X, UN Secretary General António Guterres speak that United Nations teams in the region are helping to provide emergency assistance and that the organization stands ready to provide additional assistance as needed.
According to to the United Nations aid coordination office, OCHALimited supplies are hindering the response. Emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $4 million to Mozambique to support the early humanitarian response.
With nearly 3.3 million people predicted to fall into “crisis” or higher levels of food insecurity in Mozambique next year, the World Food Program (WFP) added that the agency would scale up to help those hardest hit by the storm.
Other affected areas
UNHCR added that Cyclone Chido also caused significant destruction in Mayotte, a French overseas territory, leading to deaths, infrastructure damage and increased risks to vulnerable communities. , including asylum seekers and refugees.
And in southern Malawi, the storm brought strong winds and heavy rain that led to the destruction of homes and infrastructure in some areas. The agency is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with local partners.
