Mozambique: Tropical Storm Ana Flash Update No.7 (As of 1 February 2022) - Mozambique

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tropical storm Ana affected 141,483 people, injured 220 people, and killed at least 25 people, mostly in Zambezia, Nampula, and Tete provinces, flooding a total of 70,982 hectares of land.

• Serious concerns persist about the impact of the storm on highly vulnerable people and the limited resources available to respond to the unfolding needs.

• In-depth multisectoral needs assessments are ongoing in the most affected provinces, jointly with response efforts by the Government, to be complemented in the next days with further activities and distributions.

• High alert remains for the low-pressure system named Batsirai, which has recently evolved into a Tropical Cyclone with winds up to 150 km/h and gusts up to 215 km/h, as it moves towards Mauritius.

Situation Overview

On 24 January, tropical storm Ana made landfall in Angoche district, Nampula province, significantly affecting the provinces of Zambezia, Nampula and Tete and to a lesser extent Niassa, Sofala and Cabo Delgado.

To date, the storm has affected 141,483 people, injured 220 people, and killed at least 25 people. It has destroyed more than 7,700 houses and damaged 30 health centers, 23 water supply systems, 144 power poles, and some 2,275 km of roads, according to the latest data released by the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD). Moreover, tropical storm Ana flooded a total of 37,930 hectares of crops, with serious concern about the impact on food security, and reportedly affected 765 schools, destroying 2,457 classrooms and affecting a total of 298,442 students.

Tete province experienced extensive flooding, mostly affecting the districts of Doa, Zumbu, Tete and Mutarara, impacting on a total of 35,845 people and 12,421 hectares of land. The bridge over the Rovubue river, between Tete Sede and Moaztize collapsed. In Nampula, the most impacted areas are Liupo, Monapo, Moma and Nacala districts, with several roads being cut by the water. In this province, the storm has impacted 26,090 people, while seven health centers, 64 classrooms, and 2,252 hectares of crops have been lost. In Zambezia, the districts of Milange, Mocuba, Maganja da Costa, and Lugela have been reported as the most affected, impacting 58,414 people. Moreover, the Licungo River exceeded the alert level, causing moderate to high flooding and strongly limiting road access in several areas.

Following the passage of Tropical Storm Ana, serious concerns about its humanitarian impact and the formation of another low-pressure system remain. The new system, named Batsirai, formed over the Indian Ocean on 26 January and recently evolved into a Tropical Cyclone, with winds up to 150km/h and gusts up to 215km/h. According to the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM), Tropical Cyclone Batsirai is currently approaching Mauritius where a Cyclone Warning Class 3 has been put in force.