Introduction
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Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019 Action Against Hunger Consorzio Associazioni con il Mozambico European Union Civil Protection Solidarités International Team Rubicon USA Introduction The current brief assessment report has been produced in Beira, Mozambique, with the contribution of the above mentioned organizations. It follows a two-day qualitative assessment carried out in Marromeu, Luabo and Chinde on the 18th and 19th of April, primarily in urban, semi-urban settings and among small communities located on the river bank of the Zambezi river. While limited in its scope, it aims to provide a primary oversight of the situation of communities residing in these districts which were previously not assessed, filling a gap in the assessment data thus far collected post Cyclone Idai. The following brief assessment report consist of three main parts. 1. Rationale and assessment plan 2. Key qualitative findings 3. Recommendations I. Rationale and Assessment plan While responses have been focused thus far on the immediate flood-affected areas in Sofala and Manica provinces, the continued torrential rains in Zambezi province and the subsequent flooding of the Zambezi river and its tributaries were not yet assessed in the districts of Marromeu, Luabo and Chinde. Located between Sofala and Zambezia province, information from these three districts was scarce or even unavailable. With no assessment having been carried out in this area, there was little knowledge of the possible precarious situation of the local populations residing along the river. Initial assessments in the first week following the cyclone indicated that the district of Chinde had lost 658 hectares of agricultural land and 1,361 houses destroyed, in Luabo along the Zambezia river a further 268 hectares were lost and 708 houses destroyed. Numbers in Marrameu indicated close to 8,000 hectares of lost land and 268 houses destroyed. Days before Idai became a cyclone it had offloaded a significant amount rainfall saturating the soils of most of the corridor along Caia, Marromeu and Chinde. During Ida landfall (14-15) the saturated flood plains received an additional charge of rainfall. The additional rainfall flooded the low laying areas where water Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019 remained high till the 20th of March and started to slowly recede. Specific details can be found within the meteorological information systems. While probably not the most severely hit, significant destruction for these remote communities could immediately affect the recovery abilities of these rural populations. Verbal communication from sources in Marromeu indicate that the situation in the town itself is stable, and that access by road from Caia is possible in vehicles (4x4 minimum). This is probably because the town is situated slightly up on the river bank and the SENA sugar company has significant pumping capacity to provide water to key public institutions. From further down-stream however there was very little to no information at all. These more rural communities living on the river banks may very well have been severely affected, or hardly at all, due to their high level of resilience and experience of living on the Zambezi river. The aim of this assessment is to understand the situation which these communities are in, and to be able to map any needs that may be there and have previously not identified nor addressed. Assessment Objectives: - Identify potential vulnerable situations and/or populations which have not yet been assessed and could be in need of immediate assistance - Public site assessment (schools, health centers, etc.) in Marromeu, Luabo and Chinde Methodology: - Joint physical assessment on site in Marromeu, villages along the Zambezi river from Marromeu to Chinde including Luabo and Chinde town. - Key informant interviews with: o District Administrator of Marromeu (including members of his local cabinet) . Director of Health . Director of Economic development . Director of infrastructure and territorial planning . Head of district Education department . Deputy administrator of Malingapense region o District Administrator of Chinde (including members of his local cabinet) . Director of Health . Head of Economic development . Local delegate of INGC o Health center director of Luabo Heath Center o Head nurse at Marromeu district hospital o Largest private trader in Marromeu (Faisal) - Multisectoral assessment templates and questions used were those validated by government agency (INGC) and REACH, in order to guide the questioning with a focus on key sectors only. Team Composition: - 1 pax AAH lead (facilitator/logistics) - 1 pax Sol.Intl. (WASH) - 1 pax EUCP (financier/technical/donor) - 1 pax CAM (translator/guide/development actor) - 1 pax Team Rubicon (medic/health) Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019 II. Key Qualitative Findings The nature and limited dedicated time to the assessment has allowed for only a rapid qualitative assessment based on the interviews conducted and observations made by all five team members. Hailing each from a different organization with complimenting profiles, the broadest possible observations have been made, although the limitations present in such an assessment need to be considered. Generalizations following from the reported observations in this report need to be avoided, as the assessment had limited geographical coverage. The majority of findings are directly related to more urban settings and those of communities residing directly on the river. More rural areas have not been assessed and might thus be facing different challenges, requiring different support. The findings shared below only aim to provide a primary indication of the needs and the nature of such needs to guide prioritization of humanitarian relief efforts and do not attempt to paint a comprehensive picture covering all sectors or needs in a detailed manner. Agencies are therefore invited to use the shared information as a starting point for more thorough assessments, mainly focusing on the more rural communities in Chinde and coast areas of Marromeu. Overall situation assessment: Marromeu district was reported to have been affected by flooding rather than by Cyclone Idai itself. At first sight and following initial discussions with local administration the overall perception of the specific effects of Cyclone Idai were not predominant. It was noticed that the level of immediate flood and cyclone related effects remained limited in comparison with Southern part of Sofala Province. There are however effects that compounded the overall status of agriculture and shelter but those could be more directly linked to a weak developmental basis in general. According to local authorities, the area of Malingapase would be the most affected, with the impact, both of flooding and wind, increasing while going downstream the Zambezi River toward the coast. The population estimate given by the local authorities is about 196,000 inhabitants for the whole of Marromeu District, with approximately 25% being affected. The overall impression following the assessment at the multiple sites visited from Marromeu towards Chinde and the towns along the river is that local communities have proven extreme resilient to the tests of nature. While most communities did see an abnormal amount of rainfall, and areas had been flooded during the continued rains in March, there were no reports of major displacements or destruction. Indeed, many hectares of crops were lost, but most farmers encountered during the assessment had already managed to start re-planting alternative crops, such as sweet potatoes. In the villages and small towns visited, most of the damaged shelter were being reconstructed and people started to grow complementary food to cope with crops destruction. In illustration of the extent of damage, local community members shared with the team that the 2019 (Idai) event was not as extreme as the floods experienced in 2001 and 2007 (Favio) 2008 (Jokwe). Accordingly, the main impacts remain: flooding/destruction of agricultural lands, flooding of houses and potential contamination of water resources leading to increased waterborne illnesses. The health infrastructure, while in abysmal shape, did not suffer extensive damage as a direct result of the floods. Notably, the number of acute water diarrhea (AWD) cases recorded in Marromeu spiked in February and March, but the head nurse of the district hospital did not raise this as a major concern just yet, as increases in cases during the rainy season are habitual. Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019 WASH: Although rainfall was intense and temporarily flooded 1) parts of the villages, 2) foot paths and 3) crop fields, there is no indications that pump-heads were submerged or major infrastructure was destroyed. According to discussion with key informants on the ground and direct observation (although with limited time and geographical coverage), it would seem that the WASH facilities were not highly impacted by the events, with the two main consequences or concerns being: - Potential contamination of open wells or boreholes - Traditional latrines collapse Others issues related to WASH infrastructures and services were existing prior to the cyclone (insufficient coverage of water and sanitation services, existence of open defecation in rural area, limited hygiene practices, insufficient community management of water point, different level of services coexisting in the same