The COVID-19 situation has improved significantly and nearly 1.6 million people received vaccinations.
• Over 6,700 people, of whom 57% were children, were displaced or moved within Cabo Delgado.
• The UNICEF-supported cholera vaccination campaign reached nearly 24,000 children in Cabo Delgado.
• Over 35,400 children received basic learning and hygiene materials with UNICEF support to help their return to school
• UNICEF supported the establishment of 25 new health committees and revitalization of other 60 in Cabo Delgado, Sofala and Manica provinces.
• Over 25,000 people were reached with safe water in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces
Situation in Numbers
689,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance
1.3 million people in need (OCHA Dec 2020)
862,990 Internally displaced (INGD, August 2021)
118,534 Internally displaced from Palma (IOM, 29 July 2021)
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF’s 2021 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal, revised in June 2021 due to escalating needs, requests $96.5 million to provide lifesaving and life-sustaining services for children and their caregivers in Mozambique. Thus far in 2021, UNICEF Mozambique has received $25 million for its humanitarian response from the Governments of Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, United States, ECHO, Education Cannot Wait, GAVI, Japan National Committee for UNICEF and the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund. This includes allocations from UNICEF’s global humanitarian funding of $5 million to support ongoing response activities. UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all our donors. The 2021 appeal, still has a funding gap of 60 per cent as detailed in Annex B.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The situation in Cabo Delgado continues to be fluid and unclear. However, the Mozambique armed forces, in coordination with Rwandan and SADC troops continue to gain control of areas previously occupied by insurgents.
Reports indicate that with increased security, some residents are returning to Palma town from their temporary displacement to Quitunda, near the Afungi concession site. The market is reportedly hosting a range of local traders and prices of staple foods have reduced. According to IOM, the number of people on the move reduced by over 66 percent by the end of August.
As per the latest data (23 August) shared by the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD), there are 862,990 people displaced in the country due to conflict in Cabo Delgado (854,264 people) and the central region (8,726 people). Of these, 48.2 percent are children, 11 percent of IDPs are in resettlement sites, 6 percent in temporary accommodation, and 82.7 percent living with host families.
In August, there was a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases following the peak of the third wave in July. The number of cases reduced by 84.5 percent from the end of July to August. A similar trend was observed in terms of hospitalizations which reduced by 48.7 percent when compared with July. As of 31 August 2021, the Ministry of Health reported a cumulative 146,316 confirmed cases of which 91,3% recovered and total deaths of 1,864 people. Maputo city and surroundings continue to be the hot spot of the outbreak with total of 6,607 active cases. Although COVID-19 cases are reducing overall in the country, an increase in positive cases has been observed in the northern region. The Government lifted some of the COVID-19 mitigation measures and has reopened schools (except pre-school), and resumed normal working hours of public institutions, among others. Since March 2021, nearly 1.6 million people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Mozambique.
Food insecurity remains a concern across the country. A recent FEWSNET update8 indicates that many areas across the country remain in the minimum or stressed phases as households access food stocks from the 2020/2021 harvest.
In the conflict-affected areas of Cabo Delgado, many households are in crisis, or phase 3 as a result of displacement and lack of adequate access to food and/or income. The FEWSNET outlook through January 2022 indicates that in conflict affected areas in Cabo Delgado the recent intensification of the conflict and decline in humanitarian food assistance rations are expected to increase the number of households facing crisis outcomes (integrated phase classification 3).
Source: UN Children's Fund