Mozambique updates: Cyclone Chido triggers Government and UN joint response
Story | 31 December 2024
Emergency
Mozambique
- 3.3 million
- food-insecure people
- 680,000 people
- people affected by Cyclone Chido
- US$236.4 million
- required for emergency response until April 2025
Around 3.3 million people are unable to put food on the table in Mozambique, including nearly 770,000 people experiencing emergency levels of hunger.
The conflict in the north is disrupting livelihoods and limiting access to basic services for internally displaced people and local communities. A spike in violence in the northernmost province of Cabo Delgado has displaced nearly 715,000 people.
The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) projects that almost 1.5 million people in the north will experience acute food insecurity between October 2024 and March 2025.
A broader food security crisis is unfolding across southern Africa, caused by an El Niño-induced drought. In Mozambique, as per the latest IPC numbers, during the lean season (October 2024–March 2025), almost 3.3 million people are expected to be food insecure.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is working to provide emergency food assistance, nutrition support and school meals to 1.1 million people in communities most severely affected by drought.
The devastating effects of Cyclone Chido, which struck Cabo Delgado on 15 December 2024, may worsen Mozambique’s humanitarian situation even more, with an estimated 680,000 people affected by the disaster.
As of early January 2025, WFP had reached 115,000 cyclone-affected people, with distributions continuing. Proactive measures ahead of Cyclone Chido saved lives, with early warnings reaching over 420,000 people and pre-emptive food aid provided to those in temporary shelters.
What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the Mozambique emergency
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Northern emergency response
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WFP continues to provide food assistance to the most vulnerable people, but with a reduced frequency due to reduced funding. During the lean season (October 2024–March 2025), WFP plans to assist around 500,000 people in Cabo Delgado. School meals, acute malnutrition treatment and income-generation agricultural activities will continue. A vulnerability-based targeting exercise is in place to ensure the most vulnerable people are not left behind.
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El Niño drought response
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WFP has designed a response plan to target 1.1 million drought-affected and most food-insecure people. In coordination with Government and partners, immediate life-saving food assistance and school meals will be provided. Local health authorities will be supported to expand the management of moderate acute malnutrition. Agriculture microinsurance payouts have been activated for vulnerable smallholder farmers.
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Cyclone Chido
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WFP is drawing on stocks in Pemba and Nacala to provide food and nutrition assistance in accommodation centres and to other people affected by Cyclone Chido. In less than 12 hours the Cyclone’s landfall, WFP delivered emergency food assistance to 500 affected families in temporary accommodation centres in Pemba city.
How you can help
Please donate today to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people across country. WFP requires US$236.4 million to deliver humanitarian emergency assistance to conflict and climate-affected people up to April 2025.
Donate now