Tropical Cyclone Jude struck Mozambique on March 10, 2025, resulting in estimated risks for 780,000 people due to severe winds and heavy rains. Early response efforts were initiated, but humanitarian capacity is stretched thin amid ongoing crises. Flood alerts are in effect, and cholera cases have been reported, complicating recovery efforts as communities manage the impacts of multiple cyclones within a short timeframe.
Tropical Cyclone Jude made landfall in the Mossuril district, Nampula province, on March 10, 2025, with sustained winds of 140 km/h and gusts reaching 195 km/h. Approximately 780,000 individuals are at risk from the cyclone’s high winds and torrential rains, particularly in Nampula and Zambezia provinces, as reported by the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD). The Hydrological Department in Nampula has issued flood alerts for several major rivers due to expected heavy rainfall.
Early response efforts were initiated via the Mozambique Anticipatory Action Framework for Cyclones, with rapid funding provided by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to humanitarian partners three days prior to landfall. However, humanitarian resources face challenges as they are already being stretched by previous cyclone responses and ongoing crises such as cholera and political unrest. The appeal for assistance related to this cyclone is notably underfunded, at only 0.2 percent.
According to the Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology (INAM), Cyclone Jude impacted the Mossuril district at 06:00 local time. The cyclone is expected to produce heavy rain exceeding 250 mm within 24 hours, potentially leading to floods in Nampula, Zambezia, Cabo Delgado, and Sofala provinces. Flooding alerts have been issued, and localized flooding has already been reported in several districts, including Nacala and Ilha de Moçambique.
Initial reports highlight damage to homes and infrastructure, such as roads and telecommunication lines. INGD and IOM teams are pre-deployed to conduct rapid needs assessments in accessible areas. Approximately 780,468 individuals are at high risk in the cyclone’s projected path, with 508,167 in Nampula and 272,302 in Zambezia.
Cholera cases have surfaced in both Nampula (36 cases) and Zambezia (8 cases) within the past 24 hours. The cholera response is hindered by prior cyclone damage to health facilities, misinformation, and violence against health workers. Flooding and population movements may exacerbate the cholera risk, spreading the disease further.
This cyclone is the third to impact Mozambique in three months, following Cyclones Chido and Dikeledi, which have caused extensive destruction and affected over 684,000 people. The population in Nampula, still recovering from those disasters, has only received assistance to 14 percent of those in need in four targeted districts.
Tropical Cyclone Jude has severely impacted Mozambique, specifically the Nampula and Zambezia provinces, with significant human and infrastructural risks after its landfall. The early response mobilized through anticipatory action has encountered funding challenges amid ongoing humanitarian crises from previous cyclone impacts and other issues. As the situation exacerbates, particularly with health risks from cholera and flooding, immediate and coordinated humanitarian efforts remain critical for affected communities.
Original Source: www.unocha.org
