A powerful cyclone, named Chido, has struck Mozambique, killing 94 people and injuring over 768 others since it made landfall last week. The storm caused widespread damage and affected more than 622,000 people in some capacity.
Chido hit the eastern African country on December 15 with winds of 260 km/h (160mph) and heavy rainfall, before moving on to neighboring Malawi and Zimbabwe. The cyclone had initially wreaked havoc in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, leaving tens of thousands of people reeling from the catastrophe.
The Mozambican government has mobilized support on all levels to respond to the disaster. In Mayotte, where the cyclone was particularly severe, the death toll has risen to 35, with some predicting it could reach several hundred once damage assessments are complete.
The cyclone has had a devastating impact on Mozambique’s education and health sector, with over 109,793 students affected and more than 52 sanitary units damaged. This has exacerbated existing challenges in accessing essential healthcare services in areas where they were already limited.
International efforts to support the affected populations have been underway. An air bridge has been established between Mayotte, Reunion, and mainland France, with over 100 tonnes of equipment being delivered each day.
The cyclone highlights the vulnerability of social infrastructures to climate change and the need for resilient planning to mitigate future impacts. The UN’s climate body, the IPCC, notes that humans have contributed to increases in precipitation associated with tropical cyclones, but assessing the exact influence of climate change on individual storms can be challenging due to their complexity.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c938wn7k2v3o