Highlights
On 15 January 2016, the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) declared the Orange Institutional Alert due to El Niño drought conditions in the South of the Country. On 9 February the Government requested the HCT to assist in mobilizing additional funds to respond to the drought emergency.
From 9-11 March, UNICEF supported an INGC-led joint needs assessment in Tete and Sofala provinces amid reports of increasing humanitarian needs and gaps in the drought response.
Though the current government estimate of people in need of assistance is 380,000 people, the latest food security vulnerability assessment, due to come in early April, will increase this estimate number to 1.5 million people in food insecurity and in need or urgent food assistance.
15.3% of children under 5 in Sofala have GAM, while 42% of pregnant and lactating women in Sofala have GAM. 15.5% of children under 5 in Tete province have GAM and 28.3% of pregnant and lactating women in Tete province have GAM.
To date, 155,650 people have been reached through government and HCT food assistance, water trucking, and the distribution of agriculture inputs.
UNICEF interventions are prioritizing WASH and Nutrition, with targets of 40,000 beneficiaries for the WASH response and over 18,000 malnourished children targeted in UNICEF’s Nutrition response.
The UNHCT’s $4,679,803 CERF proposal for the drought response has been approved.
Situation in Numbers
Date: 31 March 2016
380,000 People with acute food insecurity (This figure will be revised upwards following the new SETSAN assessment results)
155,650 People received food assistance in the month of February
15.3% of children U5 with GAM in Sofala province
42% Pregnant and lactating women with GAM in Sofala province
15.5% of children U5 with GAM in Tete province
28.3% of pregnant and lactating women with GAM in Tete province
175,821 School children affected by drought UNICEF Appeal 2016 US $3,800,000
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Shortages of rainfall, especially in the southern and parts of central regions of Mozambique, were recorded between October 2015 and January 2016. Currently, the country is facing the worst drought in 30 years with great severity in the southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, and parts of central regions, notably in Tete and Sofala provinces as a result of El Niño.
Compared to the year 1997 when the country was last hit by El Niño, the National Institute for Meteorology (INAM) and National Directorate of Water and Resource Management (DNGRH) are reporting that the prevailing El Niño conditions are the strongest to ever been recorded in the country since 1997.
Natural disasters are cyclical in Mozambique. In 2015, Mozambique was hard hit by localized floods and strong winds. The destructive effects and cumulative social and economic impacts of the floods have resulted in major social and economic setbacks. Combined with slow recovery pace, the current drought impact have further pushed communities deeper into their vulnerability particularly, those already struggling to recover from the long-term effects of floods. While the north has experienced some rain which resulted in light floods, particularly in Nampula, Cabo Delgado and parts of Zambezia province, in contrast, the south is experiencing a drought situation as a result of shortages of precipitation. The criticality of the current drought is such that demanded the activation of the Institutional Orange alert by the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) on 15th January. Following various discussions within the Technical Council for Disaster Management (CTGC) and a presentation to the Development Results Group (DRG), the INGC officially requested the UN Resident Coordinator on 9th February for additional funding to cover the increasing needs and gaps in the current response.
With official INAM’s meteorological projections indicating below normal rain fall and DNGRH hydrological interpretations showing majority of dams in the south with limited water and currently discharging lower than during the same period last year and lower compared to the 1997 El Niño time period. This has led to insufficient discharges of water to carry out normal agricultural activities.
The Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition Security (SETSAN) anticipated that the situation could escalate from the projected March moderate food insecurity scenario of 380,000 people to a severe scenario of 1.8 million people food insecure in the next six months.