Overview of Humanitarian Impact and Response to Tropical Cyclone Jude in Mozambique

Tropical Cyclone Jude struck Mozambique on March 10, 2025, resulting in severe damage, casualties, and humanitarian needs. The northern region’s response is strained due to previous cyclones. Accommodation centers were activated, but many sites require formal recognition for effective assistance. Urgent needs include food, shelter, and health services, alongside a focus on education recovery.

On March 6, 2025, a low-pressure system in the southwestern Indian Ocean developed into Tropical Cyclone Jude, striking Mozambique on March 10. It impacted the districts of Cabo Delgado and Zambézia with winds reaching 195 km/h and over 250mm of rainfall within a single day, resulting in significant infrastructure damage, casualties, injuries, and increased humanitarian needs in both urban and rural areas.

The northern region’s humanitarian response is currently strained, exacerbated by the recent impacts of Cyclone Chido (December 2024) and Cyclone Dikeledi (January 2025). After the official initiation of anticipatory actions by the Technical Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management on March 8, the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) response began on March 9 in Angoche and Mogincual. Key readiness activities included pre-positioning necessary tools, disseminating preparedness messages, and collaborative engagement with local disaster risk committees.

Local authorities have activated accommodation centers in affected districts of Nampula and Zambézia, deploying site management teams to assess initial needs and manage responses. Initial assessments revealed 59 temporary facilities hosting displaced individuals across nine districts in Nampula and one in Zambézia. However, many of these sites lack formal recognition as accommodation centers, complicating humanitarian assistance and necessitating improved collaboration among relevant entities to ensure effective support.

Many families are currently utilizing temporary accommodations like schools, churches, and unfinished buildings while attempting to rebuild. The urgent needs span food, water, shelter, health services, non-food items, and sanitation, while the pressing necessity to enhance living conditions and overall humanitarian responses is increasingly evident. It is essential to implement basic services like handwashing stations and toilets in reception areas to facilitate better assistance distribution and improve living standards.

The cyclone has disrupted educational infrastructure as schools have been repurposed for shelter, delaying children’s education. Hence, coordinated action among partners is crucial to assist displaced families and recover education services. The CCCM Cluster is committed to maintaining updated temporary accommodation facility lists in conjunction with local authorities, even as family movements lead to expected site deactivations.

The emergence of Tropical Cyclone Jude has intensified pre-existing humanitarian challenges in Mozambique, with the CCCM taking crucial steps in response initiatives. It is imperative to enhance collaboration for effective management of accommodation centers and to address urgent living conditions of displaced communities. Coordinated educational recovery efforts are essential to mitigate the long-term effects on affected populations. Overall, strategic improvements in living standards and support systems are critical to recovery and resilience in the aftermath of this disaster.

Original Source: reliefweb.int