The UK is providing £1.8 million, around 152 million meticiais, of emergency UK aid to people affected by the cyclone season including those impacted by devastating Cyclone Gombe and Tropical Storm Ana this year.
This funding will support the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNICEF and WFP to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to those most severely affected by these extreme weather events, namely:
- UNICEF – £1M for water infrastructure rehabilitation, supplies and programmes related to Tropical Storm Ana response activities on education, WASH and Health.
- IOM – £500,000 support that will increase IOM’s capacity to respond to and address the immediate and emerging needs of internally displaced persons and other affected communities in Central and Northern Mozambique.
- WFP – £300,000 to treat about 6,000 children under 5 years of age suffering with moderate acute malnutrition and an additional Super Cereal, which would allow to rehabilitate about 5,700 pregnant and lactating women with acute malnutrition
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According to the latest reports 53,913 homes have been destroyed and another 41,587 have been damaged, particularly in the provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, Niassa, Tete and Sofala. More than 19,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and are being hosted in accommodation centres and others were already in transit centres due to heavy rains. Torrential rainfall affected Beira which may cause more damage on top of that from the cyclone.
The British High Commissioner to Mozambique, NneNne Iwuji, said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by Cyclone Gombe. The UK will do all that it can to assist those in need. We are working in partnership with the INGD and the Mozambique Government to provide emergency relief supplies to families affected by Cyclone/Tropical Storm Gombe. We pre-positioned materials through INGD and partners”.
The UK has been working with INGD in preparedness, including the use of Drones to access damages and reach remote or sited locations.
