Mozambique

A woman carries USAID-provided plastic sheeting in the wake of tropical storm damage.

USAID/Lisa Gabriel

Beginning in mid-January 2012, heavy rains generated by Tropical Storm Dando and Tropical Cyclone Funso caused significant flooding in the coastal districts of Zambézia Province in central Mozambique and in Gaza, Inhambane, and Maputo provinces in the south. As of January 31, flooding had resulted in approximately 40 deaths and damaged houses, crops, and public infrastructure, affecting more than 116,000 people. According to Government of Mozambique (GoM) and U.N. Humanitarian Country Team field assessments, priority needs included temporary shelter, food assistance, and water and sanitation interventions to address the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks.

On February 1, 2012, U.S. Ambassador Leslie V. Rowe declared a disaster due to the effects of the floods. In response, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided $50,000 through USAID/Mozambique to Population Services International (PSI) to procure and distribute a point-of-use water treatment product that allowed flood-affected populations to disinfect water for consumption. In addition, USAID/OFDA’s Principal Regional Advisor for Southern Africa traveled to Mozambique to assess humanitarian conditions and help determine potential USG response options to support the GOM in its operations.

USG HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED IN FY 2012

*This figure includes funding for both disaster response and disaster risk reduction activities. (As of September 12, 2012)

South Africa Floods and Cyclones Fact Sheet #2 (249kb PDF) and map (696kb PDF)

(FY 2011) Southern Africa DRR Fact Sheet #1 (302kb PDF) and map (121kb PDF)

Key Developments

In early March, USAID/OFDA staff traveled to heavily affected Zambézia Province, where approximately 56 percent of the storm-affected population—or nearly 67,000 people—reside.  The assessment team visited Namacurra District, where winds and rains from Tropical Cyclone Funso had completely flattened some houses. 

Follwing the two January storms, the U.N. noted that poor sanitation conditions in parts of Mozambique, most of which pre-date the recent floods, could result in increased transmission of water- and vector-borne illnesses, such as diarrheal diseases and malaria.  While observing no overwhelming water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs in assessed areas, the USAID/OFDA team confirmed existing poor sanitary practices and noted that Tropical Cyclone Funso had damaged some latrines and other WASH infrastructure.

USAID/OFDA initially provided $50,000 to PSI to procure and organize distribution of point-of-use water treatment products that allowed flood-affected populations to disinfect water for consumption.  Subsequently, in response to identified shelter and WASH needs, USAID/OFDA consigned to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 1,200 rolls of plastic sheeting and 8,000 water containers airlifted from a USAID/OFDA warehouse in Dubai in mid-February to assist more than 25,000 flood-affected people in Zambézia Province.

USAID/OFDA also provided funding to IOM to locally procure and distribute additional construction items, such as rope and tools, to dispense with USAID/OFDA plastic sheeting.  Such assistance helped meet the need for shelter kits identified by the Shelter Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian shelter activities—and allowed affected families to better construct emergency shelters or make housing repairs.