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ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund Payment: Support to people affected by Cyclones "Dando" and "Funso", Mozambique

27 Jan 2012 08:31

Source: member // ACT Alliance - Switzerland

Rapid Response Payment Request No. 01/2012

Funds Sent To: Ecumenical Committee for Social Development - CEDES

Amount Sent: US$30,000

Date: 26 January 2012

Details of Response

Emergency: Support to people affected by Cyclones ‘Dando’ and  ‘Funso’

Date of Emergency: 15 January 2012 (Cyclone ‘Dando’) & 19 – 24 January 2012 (Cyclone ‘Funso’)

Requesting Member: Ecumenical Committee for Social Development - CEDES 

Details of the Emergency: 

On 15 January 2012, tropical storm “Dando” hit Mozambique. This is the first storm to hit the southern part of Mozambique (Gaza/Maputo) since tropical storm “Domoina” in 1984. In their situation report number 1, of 20 January 2012, the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator in Maputo, reported that tropical storm Dando “caused flooding and damage to houses and schools in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane in Southern Mozambique.”

Between 19 and 24 January cyclone ‘Funso’ which followed worsened the situation.  All Mozambique coastland is now in a flooding emergency situation.

The areas severely affected are Nhamatanda,  Cheringoma, Beira, Dondo, Marromeu, Muandza districts of Sofala provinces; Pebane, Maganja da Costa, Namacurra, Nicodala, Mopeia, Chinde and Quelimane districts of Zambezi; and Govuro,Inhassoro, Vilankulos e Massinga districts of Inhambane.  Mandlakaze, Xai-Xai, Chibuto Guijá, Chokwé, Massingir Bilene in Gaza province are also affected including Magude, Moamba, Marracuene and Maputo in the district of Maputo province.

Heavy rains and discharge of water from dams are causing major flooding along the Incomati, Limpopo, Umbeluzi rivers displacing people and animals.  Communities’ livelihoods, houses, crops, social infrastructures and schools have been severely affected.

The government of Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) and nongovernmental organisations have been engaged in ongoing assessments. According to INGC latest information, 22 people have been recorded dead; more than 30,000 people lost their belongings, houses have been destroyed and 3,980 people are in need of shelter. INGC and BBC also report of more than 2,700 houses, 160 classrooms destroyed and more than 1100 houses submerged under water.

In addition some villages in Moamba, Magude in Maputo province, and Massingir in Gaza have been cut off since roads are inaccessible. On 20 January the Mozambique national radio reported that one bridge in Fevereiro village was destroyed, cutting access to Maputo by road from the rest of the country. As a result staff from some NGOs were trapped in the field on their way back to Maputo.

The northern Inhambane province districts of Vilankulos, Inhassoro, Govuro and Massinga are currently experiencing rains as a result of cyclone ‘Funso’. Cyclone Funso is also expected to affect Beira coast and the south coastland of Mozambique. The Incomati and Limpopo river basins are recording above alert levels.

Actions to Date, and Emergency Needs: 

So far, the ACT forum members have been attending emergency coordination meetings led by INGC including cluster preparedness meetings with different partners like the UN agencies and other NGOs. ACT members in Mozambique continue to monitor the situation in the affected areas with ongoing needs assessments through staff of ACT members in the field.

The needs in the affected areas and the magnitude of the emergency have prompted the ACT forum to agree on the need to respond through a rapid response fund request to the ACT Secretariat. CEDES is the only ACT member participating in this rapid response fund request though other members are also responding in various other ways.

Proposed Emergency Response: 

-          Overall goal

The overall goal of the CEDES response is to provide immediate life saving assistance to the affected people in order to alleviate the suffering they are bearing as a result of the floods caused by cyclones Dando and Funso.

-          objective(s) of the Emergency Response:

The objective of this response is to distribute immediate shelter materials, blankets, kitchen kits, mosquito’s nets, health and sanitation items and awareness materials related to the disaster.

-          Proposed assistance

CEDEs plans to intervene in the following sectors:

1. Shelter:

In this sector, CEDES will target 1000 families to benefit from blankets and kitchen utensils.

2. Health and Sanitation:

CEDES will support the disaster affected people with soap and sanitation materials to prevent sickness and other water borne diseases.

3. Water provision:

There is need for water purification chemicals as well as transportation of water to the affected people.  CEDES will provide 20 litre buckets  and 25 litre jerry cans for people to carry and store water properly.

During the intervention CEDES will protect the disabled, the handicapped, pregnant women, children and people living with AIDS who are in need of prioritised support.

For the entire document of this Rapid Response, please click here.