Disaster and Crisis Relief in Mozambique
From Cyclone Idai in 2019 to Cyclone Eloise in 2021 and Cyclone Freddy in 2023, Mozambique has been affected by a number of devastating natural disasters over the past several years. In the wake of each, Peace Winds has responded immediately, supporting the United Nations’ and government agencies’ efforts to provide food, water, and temporary shelter.
Following Cyclone Freddy which struck Mozambique in February and March 2023, Peace Winds conducted needs assessment and emergency relief activities in Inhambane Province, an area that was hit particularly hard. Throughout the rainy season, families whose homes were flooded or destroyed in the cyclone faced even greater challenges. Peace Winds teams remained on the ground throughout 2023 to provide support and emergency relief supplies, such as mosquito nets and hygiene kits, to vulnerable groups living in temporary shelters.
Additionally, since 2021, Peace Winds has been supporting internally displaced persons who are fleeing armed attacks in the far north of the country. After attacks in Cabo Delgado intensified in early 2024, teams in Mozambique distributed emergency fuel and rented a truck to help families fleeing their homes travel to safety. Peace Winds also distributed food packages to these individuals in the wake of the attacks.
In August 2021, Peace Winds teams began working with the UN and local NGOs to install public toilets. Because many households don’t have toilets, open defecation is a major problem in Mozambique; outdoor excrement is mixed with rainwater and scattered, causing the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera. Peace Winds is working with local residents to teach them to build their own latrines and educate them about proper hygiene.
In January 2022, Peace Winds began providing support for displaced people in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost part of Mozambique. The state has been hit by armed groups intermittently since 2017, forcing more than 700,000 people to evacuate their land, many of whom have relied on traveling south to move in with family and friends.
As the crisis continues, the Mozambique government has opened resettlement locations at evacuation sites and begun to provide land to refugees. Peace Winds remains active in providing support to displaced people in these camps and host communities.
