Mozambique Cyclone Jude: Shelter and NFI Cluster Updates, March 2025

Tropical Cyclone Jude impacted Mozambique between March 6 and March 12, 2025, causing severe winds and rainfall, with potential effects on up to 275,000 people. Shelter Cluster activities focus on assessing needs, coordinating with local authorities, and deploying to Quelimane for response support.

On March 6, 2025, a low-pressure system formed over the southwestern Indian Ocean, evolving into Tropical Cyclone Jude, which made landfall in the Mossuril district of Nampula Province on March 10. The cyclone produced winds gusting up to 195 km/h and intense rainfall exceeding 250 mm within 24 hours. Following its peak, it deteriorated into a severe tropical storm and subsequently impacted the northeastern areas of Zambezia Province, particularly the Gilé and Pebane districts. By March 12, heavy rainfall continued in Zambezia as Jude moved towards the Mozambique Channel, with an estimated exit from the continent on March 13, accompanied by flood alerts for several provinces including Nampula, Zambezia, Tete, Manica, and Sofala.

The government has released preliminary impact data, indicating fewer than 5,000 individuals affected, though projections from authorities and humanitarian organizations estimate that Tropical Storm Jude may impact between 120,000 and 275,000 people. There are ongoing challenges due to information gaps which hinder the establishment of accurate figures regarding the extent of damage to infrastructure and services.

The Shelter Cluster has been actively assessing its capacity in the impacted provinces, which includes identifying partners with physical presence, deployment capabilities, stock delivery capacity, and readiness for response actions. Coordination with local authorities is also a priority to facilitate timely information exchange. Partner organizations are prepared to undertake needs assessments once conditions allow.

Additionally, the cluster coordination is set to deploy personnel to Quelimane to support various response activities. An assessment including the number of individuals in need, targeted populations, planned response activities, and financial requirements has been submitted to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for an update on the Flash Appeal.

In summary, Tropical Cyclone Jude has significantly affected Mozambique, particularly in the provinces of Nampula and Zambezia, with heavy rainfall and high wind speeds causing potential displacement of tens of thousands. The Shelter Cluster is actively coordinating efforts to assess needs and response capabilities, while also preparing for further assistance as conditions improve. Accurate data collection remains critical to understanding the full impact of the storm and the required humanitarian response.

Original Source: reliefweb.int