HIGHLIGHTS

• Nearly 1.5 million people have been reached with food assistance in Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia provinces.

• The number of displaced people sheltering in accommodation sites in Sofala province decreased to 21,384 people (4,639 families) as of 5 May.

• Malaria cases in Sofala have continued to rise, with 25,758 cases registered as of 6 May; the highest number of cases has been reported from Nhamatanda (11,652).

• Cholera cases continue to decline, with only four new cases reported from 5 May to 6 May, compared with 400 cases reported daily during the peak of the outbreak.

• More than 286,000 people (57,222 families) have received shelter assistance. However, more shelter materials, including tents, are still needed.

1.85M People in need

6,743 Cholera cases

~1.5M People reached with food assistance

>286K People reached with shelter assistance

22,758 Malaria cases in Sofala Province

>1.25M People supported to access clean water

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The number of displaced people seeking shelter in accommodation sites in Sofala has decreased to 21,384 people (4,639 families). The Government, under the leadership of the Sofala Provincial Governorate, is coordinating the movement of internally displaced people (IDPs) to new resettlement sites.

There are now 17 accommodation centres in Sofala, 9 in Buzi, 5 in Beira and 3 in Nhamatanda. About 13 schools were still being used as accommodation centres as of 5 April in Buzi, Beira, Dondo, Tete, Gondola and Nhamatanda, impacting the resumption of learning for affected students. To date, 4,127 plots have been demarcated, of which 2,612 have been assigned. Only 240 people (48 families) remain at the IFP accommodation centre, while more than 1,800 (360 families) families have been relocated from the IFAPA accommodation centre to Dondo and Nhamatanda, leaving 485 people (97 families) at the site. In Picoco, more than 49 per cent (2,255 people) of the previous 4,620 IDPs in the site have been relocated, leaving about 2,365 people (473 families) at the site. The humanitarian community continues to advocate for safe, dignified, voluntary and informed population movement, as well as for adequate service provision and sustainable resources in return areas. More than 286,000 people (57,222 families) have been reached with shelter assistance, representing about 63 per cent of the targeted population of 450,000 people, as of 5 May. More shelter materials are, however, still needed especially in the relocation areas.

Concerns persist regarding the likelihood of increasing food insecurity due to Cyclone Idai. All communities in Manica and 80 per cent in Sofala have reported harvesting less than half of their maize due to the disaster, according to the findings of the “Post Cyclone Idai Mozambique rapid agricultural livelihood needs assessment”, conducted in 21 affected districts of Sofala, Manica and Zambezia provinces. Many communities harvested only small quantities of maize, which will not keep for long and cannot be used for seeds. At the same time, income from the sale of staple crops has decreased for over 90 per cent of communities, while income from animals has decreased for 80 per cent of the communities who used to rely on it, and income from fishing has decreased for 70 per cent of the communities who rely on it. Sesame – which was the main cash crop in the fields when Cyclone Idai hit - was severely impacted, with 60 to 80 per cent of communities estimating that they will harvest less than 25 per cent. As communities begin to recover from the impacts of Cyclone Idai, markets are being revitalized. Markets in Bandua and Buzi are now operational, with good available stock and established supply chain, according to findings from a market assessment conducted by Plan International in Bandua, Buzi and Inanjou. As of 1 May, 1,496,400 people have been reached with food assistance in the provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia. The second round of distributions had reached 68 per cent (905,947 people) of the 1.34 million target, as of 1 of May. About 137,150 people have been reached with voucher distributions.

More than 335,000 school-age children (5-17 years) and over 7,800 teachers were affected by the impact of Cyclone Idai and floods, according to the Government and partners. The floods have had a significant psychological impact on many children. Some children are reportedly scared to move around because they are afraid of the floods, while caregivers report that children are afraid of the dark and are crying at night, according to a rapid assessment in Buzi carried out by Plan. At least 36,542 children and youth (49 per cent female) and teachers have benefited from education interventions. However, access to education – particularly for girls – remains constrained.

The displacement and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai have increased protection risks, particularly for women and girls. In Buzi, some girls and women are reportedly having sex for money– mainly in market areas such as Bandua market, according to the Plan rapid assessment. Women reported that more money is typically offered if they do not use condoms, exposing them to heightened risk of sexually transmitted disease. Due to damage to infrastructure, girls and women are having to walk longer distances to collect firewood and water, and there have been reports that women have been raped while engaging in these activities, according to Plan. Already prior to the cyclone, one in six adults in Sofala were living with HIV, according to MSF.