Mozambique - Today Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi is overseeing a nationwide simulation of a Red Alert cyclone warning, which is taking place across three districts in the central province of Zambezia and is coordinated by the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC).

It is Mozambique’s ninth emergency simulation and, as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change and environmental hazards, is a critical component of the government’s preparedness and emergency management.

The one-day event includes the participation of 5,000 people living across 10 communities in Zambezia, who are being evacuated and taken to nearby accommodation centres – a logistical process involving local leaders, the police force, local and provincial governments, and a wide range of government agencies.

As the only external organization to participate in the simulation, IOM is supporting INGC to ensure critical information passes quickly and accurately from community level through to district, provincial and national levels of government, with IOM staff stationed at each of these levels.

This involves monitoring the implementation of a new rapid assessment form – used to collect population data during the first 72 hours of an emergency – which was recently developed by IOM and other organizations and is being trialled for the first time in today’s simulation.

“The previous rapid assessment form was very lengthy and technical, often causing local leaders to misinterpret questions or leave sections blank, creating issues with data consistency,” said IOM programme manager Manuel Marques Perieira. “We are expecting this new form to allow for a more streamlined process,” he added.

For the first time, INGC is also trialling SMS messaging as a means of direct communication between the central government and community leaders on the ground, which is expected to allow for faster and better-directed emergency response. Local leaders at the accommodation centres answer a set of ten questions related to basic shelter, food and medical needs, as well as numbers of injuries and deaths.

Gender and protection issues at the accommodation centres are this year given strong emphasis. Superintendent Eliza Mavulule from the Office of Family and Minors and IOM Training Assistant Aida Temba are together evaluating whether the centres are following standard procedures for preventing gender-based violence and promoting safety.

“Times of emergency create confusion and haphazard population movements, raising the vulnerabilities of women, children and elderly to exploitation, discrimination and violence,” said Aida Temba.

“Implementing simple precautionary measures in evacuation centres can help reduce the risk of incidents, such as creating protection committees, monitoring the fair distribution of food and water supplies, promoting greater police presence, and locating vulnerable groups near critical services like health and education. This is what we are monitoring today.”

IOM’s involvement in the simulation is part of its portfolio in providing technical expertise and capacity-building to the Mozambican government in Camp Management and Camp Coordination (CCCM). The program is funded by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

Today’s emergency simulation comes nine months after devastating flooding hit Zambezia in January 2015, which caused over 130 deaths and displaced over 60,000 people.

For further information please contact Manuel Marques Pereira at IOM Mozambique,  Tel: +258 866 450 317,  Email: mpereira@iom.int