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Add to Preferred SourcesIOM’s Flash Appeal for support following Tropical Storm Chalane requests nearly 2 million USD to facilitate emergency response for over 24,000 people in resettlement sites affected by the storm in central Mozambique, and for more than 61,000 vulnerable people in need of preparedness for the rainy season. According to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD) over 73,000 people were affected by the storm.
On 30 December 2020, Tropical Storm Chalane hit central Mozambique with strong winds and heavy rains. A rapid assessment was conducted by IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in collaboration with INGD between 31 December and 2 January to assess the damage caused by Tropical Storm Chalane.
The assessment found that nearly 5,000 families in 52 resettlement sites in Manica and Sofala provinces were affected, including thousands who were previously displaced in 2019 by Cyclone Idai. Within these resettlement sites, 4,938 tents and shelters were destroyed or damaged and five health centres and two schools were damaged. A further vulnerability assessment by IOM and district authorities concluded that the destruction of shelters has left vulnerable groups at heightened protection risk, especially the elderly, and child and female headed households, and people with disabilities.
IOM Mozambique Chief of Mission Laura Tomm-Bonde said, “Tropical Storm Chalane affected populations who remain extremely vulnerable following Cyclone Idai. IOM is working with the Government of Mozambique and humanitarian partners to assess damages and rapidly respond.”
“This is just the beginning of the rainy and cyclone season, additional heavy rains and winds are expected. Affected families urgently need support and vulnerable families need services and assistance to improve shelter quality to withstand further rain and wind in the coming months.”
IOM response to Tropical Storm Chalane has thus far included psychological first aid to affected persons to alleviate distress suffered as a result of the repeated experience of a natural disaster, support to mobile health and mental health brigades, and the continuous presence of protection teams and activists to ensure access of vulnerable groups to referrals and services. Logistical and technical support has also been provided to provincial and district authorities in Camp Coordination and Camp Management.
The appeal covers multiple areas of critical need: Shelter and Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Health, Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS) and Displacement Tracking. Focus areas include response to immediate needs, information sharing with affected communities through support to the government’s humanitarian response, and the prepositioning of shelter and NFI kits to ensure immediate response to rainy season and cyclone season weather.