IOM’s Flash Appeal for support following Tropical Storm Chalane, published today, 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; click here to read the IOM Flash Report.

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.

In Magaro Resettlement Site, Sussundenga district, resident Ana Gerimias, 87 years old, said: “Tropical Storm Chalane was very frightening. My two small grandchildren were crying and holding on to me. The roof panels blew off of our shelter within the first hours of the storm. We fled to a large tent that was only 100 meters away, it was so difficult to walk in the strong wind, we thought that the nearby trees would fall.”

“Our shelter collapsed and we lost many personal items in the storm. All of our food was soaked and ruined. We were not able to celebrate the new year. After the storm community members helped to prop up our previous tent. Since Idai we have not had good shelter conditions. We added roof panels, bamboo and poles to our old shelter but still the rain comes in and the floor is wet,” said Ana Gerimias.

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.

Click here for the IOM Flash Appeal for Tropical Storm Chalane Response.

From March 2019 through December 2020 IOM Mozambique supported over 800,000 people with emergency and recovery support following Cyclones Idai and Kenneth.

For more information, please contact: 
Sascha Nlabu, IOM Mozambique Head of Programmes and Operations; email: snlabu@iom.int or 
Sandra Black, Media and Communications Officer; Tel: +258 85 216 2278, email: sblack@iom.int