Cyclone Chido hits Mozambique

As the country prepared for the storm to make landfall, Tearfund and local partners worked with local churches to get vital messages to people in their communities on what to do before and during the storm to stay safe.

Judas also mentioned that lighter building materials used to make homes may have helped encourage people to take seriously the warnings to seek shelter. Where people did not expect their homes to withstand the force of the cyclone, they acted quickly on the early warnings advice they received.

Loss of homes and livelihoods

But the effects of the cyclone have left many people facing a nightmare situation in a region where violent conflict had already left people displaced from their homes and in dire circumstances and in a country where 3 million people were already experiencing a hunger crisis.

‘This is a devastating cyclone,’ says Judas. ‘People whose homes had previously been burnt down in the conflict in the region have lost their temporary shelters and are having to flee to safety yet again.

‘We are particularly concerned about…people living with disabilities, the elderly and child-headed households. Through our work with the local church, we have carried out community mapping so that there is a plan in place to support these vulnerable people to reach safety in exactly this scenario. We are also preparing to be able to provide food, clean water and comfort once the storm has passed.’

According to Reliefweb, around 23,000* houses have been ruined. The area that Nigel Harris, Tearfund’s CEO, visited recently has lost 70 homes in this storm. Others have lost livelihoods – including 171 fishermen whose boats have been destroyed, leaving them struggling to provide food and income for their families and at risk of hunger.

One hospital in Cabo Delgado had its roof torn off by the high winds, leaving patients  exposed to the storm and causing injuries.

Nigel says, ‘Cabo Delgado province has already been through conflict in recent years, and I spent time with communities that were struggling with forced displacement. The devastation caused by Cyclone Chido will add yet more challenges to communities that have already been through so much.’

As Judas and our local staff and partners continue to assess needs and respond, including by providing essentials such as food items and hygiene kits, along with sharing information to help people stay safe from waterborne diseases, they have asked for your ongoing prayers.

*Numbers have been updated on 18 December 2024.