COVID impact on triple humanitarian crisis in Mozambique
The United Nations says the COVID pandemic could cause the number of Africans living in food insecurity to double to 43 million in the next six months. Some countries have been able to rely on pre-crisis stocks, keeping the price of staples like as maize and rice relatively stable. But supply chains are no longer stable and small traders are impacted, especially in Mozambique. Mozambique is one of the world’s poorest countries – ranking 178 out of 187 nations on the Human Development Index. Trading within Mozambique, with its poor infrastructure and wide spread corruption it not easy. COVID-related movement restrictions intended to limit the spread of COVID has made movement of goods and trade even more difficult. Compounded by insecurity in Mozambique and attacks on health workers, the COVID response is also hampered. Government responses to COVID must not unreasonably affect democracy, civil society, and trade in Mozambique. Across sub-Saharan Africa, 40 percent of staple foods fail to reach markets because of poor roads and market access limitations.
Northern of Mozambique – Cabo Delgado
The humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique, has deteriorated rapidly in the first six months of 2020 due to insecurity and violence which began in 2017, compounded by climatic shocks. The violence and insecurity have compounded the situation of people impacted by climatic shocks, including Cyclone Kenneth in April 2019 and flooding in December 2019 and January 2020, plus now the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many people to cope with a ‘triple crisis’.
At least 195 violent incidents were reported between January and June 2020, with Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, Nangade, Muidumbe, Macomia and Quissanga districts most affected. Since the insurgency began, there has been reports that more than 1,000 civilians killed. Additionally, over 42 out 126 health facilities are non-functional. As a result, 250,000 people are now estimated to be internally displaced from Cabo Delgado, hosted in Nampula Zambezia and Niassa provinces. The majority of internally displaced people are children and women. Food, shelter, non-food items, and livelihood support remain the most-needed assistance for IDPs. While there are settlements and accommodation centres, the majority of IDPs are being hosted by families and relatives. Areas hosting the largest number of displaced people include district capitals such as Montepuez, Chiuri, Mueda, and Pemba city, and coastal districts and islands, such as Ibo, Macomia, Mocimba da Praia, Quissanga, Muidumbe and Matemo. More than 13,800 IDPs have reached Cabo Delgado’s provincial capital, Pemba, in search of safety and humanitarian assistance.
In addition to the armed conflicts, severe food insecurity has risen due to the combination of Cyclone Kenneth, floods and violence, with many poor households in the province expected to face Crisis (IPC 3) outcomes through September 2020.
Within this context of multiple and compounding shocks, lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities, together with poor hygiene practices, have led to disease outbreaks, including cholera. Over 960 cases and 15 deaths due to cholera had been reported by the end of May 2020, according to tests undertaken by provincial authorities. Many cases of diarrhoea have also been reported in Cabo Delgado, especially affecting the districts of Ibo, Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia.
Cabo Delgado has recorded 606 COVID cases, but it is likely that the real number of COVID cases is significantly higher. The COVID sero-epidemiological survey that took place in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado (6-21 July) revealed that 2.5 percent of the population studied, or one in 40 individuals, have been exposed to the virus. Since the total population of Pemba is 200,000 that means the potentially there could be about ten times as many cases as are currently being reported.
The increasingly acute situation in Cabo Delgado prompted the Humanitarian Country Team in Mozambique to launch a specific $35.5m May-December 2020 Cabo Delgado Rapid Response Plan that aims at providing urgent life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to hundreds of thousands of populations still in insecure areas as well as displaced and host communities. This is currently 60% funded. This is separate to the separate Emergency Appeal for the COVID response (May-December 2020), which incorporates both the public health response and action to tackle the most urgent secondary consequences of the outbreak.
Central Region – Sofala and Manica Provinces
Since 2019, Manica and Sofala Provinces in the Central region of Mozambique have experienced an escalation violence affecting communities and road traffic. There have been reports on the attacks, targeting government institutions such as health centres, local Police HQ, private truck and small vehicles, and public buses, majority in N1 and N6 roads, sometime resulting in deaths, looting and vehicle burning. Despite in some cases, the attacks are not being claimed by any faction, the Mozambique Police Spokespersons and Defence officials have suggested that the former Renamo Guerrilla dissident are perpetuating such incidents. The violence resulted in internal displacement where families have moved from their villages to the safe areas, fearing an escalation of attacks.
Humanitarian Situation
The humanitarian situation is critical as families have limited access to food, water, basic health care and having children deprived from their fundamental rights. The current situation, leave families more vulnerable from Covid19, given the poor water and sanitation environment, lack of protection material and limited access to information and communication on the key protection measures. The funding for humanitarian response and development activities in Mozambique has declined significantly since 2019, without the necessary investments and development of local national civil society and government departments.
Communities are faced with a triple crisis and millions of people have lost their livelihoods, face extreme violence, and increasing number of girls and boys are out of school due to Covid-19 closures or a lack of safe learning spaces. Children are among the most-affected by ongoing forced displacement. Communities, in most cases, do not have disaster preparedness plans and will not be able to respond appropriately as climate change intensifies and disasters become more severe.