Mozambique

Around 90,000 children impacted by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique

NEW YORK, 17 December 2024 / PRN Africa / -- Tropical Cyclone Chido struck northern Mozambique over the weekend, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds that caused devastation for communities in Cabo Delgado province.

Current assessments show the storm destroyed or damaged over 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and impacted more than 90,000 children, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

Classrooms destroyed; infrastructure damaged

According to the latest situation report, at least 174,000 people have been impacted overall but numbers may increase as assessments continue.

In addition to homes damaged, at least 186,000 classrooms were destroyed, and 20 health facilities hit, after the storm made landfall on Sunday.

Cyclone Chido hit close to the city of Pemba in Cabo Delgado, blowing away roofs, damaging civilian infrastructure, and leveling electricity and communication systems.

“is considered one of the most affected countries in the world by climate change and children were already experiencing several life-threatening emergencies before Cyclone Chido, including conflict, drought, and disease outbreaks,” said Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique.

UNICEF – along with other UN agencies, the government, NGOs and local partners – is “responding and prioritizing decisive actions for emergency humanitarian action despite the enormous challenges children face in Mozambique”, Ms. Eagleton added.

Seven years of conflict

Cabo Delgado has endured at least seven years of brutal conflict, leading to more than 1.3 million people becoming internally displaced, 80 per cent of them women and children.

For many, Cyclone Chido has caused renewed hardship, washing away what little they had managed to rebuild, according to UN agencies in the region.

SOURCE UN News Centre