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, , 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 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 . 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 area – open wells, hand pump equipped boreholes and small scale water network system with elevated tanks and public fountain).

A more detailed assessment was carried out at the Marromeu district hospital. Observations revealed that the WASH services of Marromeu district hospital remain poor and insufficient:

- Access to water through a network fed by SENA company was not working all the time – water not chlorinated but negative to contamination – and additional access through an open well for washing and cleaning – water positive to contamination. - Only 1 outside latrine with 4 stances (2 Women, 2 Men) is functional and located outside the building of the hospital without lights and hand washing station. No dedicated functioning latrines for isolation area (raising also concerns for protection issues). - Sceptic tanks rehabilitation ongoing outside. - Waste management is very poor, open air incineration of sharp and plastic waste and one organic waste pit. - Lack of chlorine available and few cleaning equipment

At community level, reducing the diarrhea risk would go through preventive action such as shock chlorination of open wells (ensuring the level of free residual chlorine (FRC) is going down to regular one before use), water quality monitoring at public fountain and systematic chlorine injection within the existing water network, among others. The pumps tested in Marromeu and surrounding areas indicate that they are not up to standards because of poor siting, drilling and overall lack of maintenance and ineffective community management.

In Luabo, it was found that nearly 100% of the residents collected water from the river as their only source of water, both for drinking, cooking and washing. This practice was the same prior to the cyclone and/or the flooding and would be related to boreholes providing salty water. The reported cases of waterborne diseases were not mentioned as superior to the seasonal situation, following a slight increase after the cyclone. None of the location reported Cholera cases.

The small rural communities in Chinde were found to possess a functioning hand pump, which was used by the whole community for their source of drinking water (roughly 1,000 people). River water was used for other means, such as cleaning.

Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019

HEALTH:

Information gathered during the initial meeting with the District Administrator indicated that most (if not all) areas bordering the Zambezi River had witnessed an increase in flooding as supposed to normal levels during the time of year. Excessive water instantly causes problems affecting the health of the population. Contaminated and stale water can raise concern for spreading of life-threatening illnesses. Overall however, most information gathered showed that even though there was a spike of illnesses after the cyclone (namely acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and Malaria), health facilities have mostly returned to their pre-floods status quo.

- The healthcare infrastructure is far from being in good shape. Indeed, the very sparse access to the few health centers in Marromeu and Chinde districts leaves many unable to access immediate care when needed. Emergency transport is not available, and many villages are hard to reach. However, this situation describes the same status quo as before the floods. - Marromeu district hospital is giving great care for community, given the state of the hospital itself. The hospital is in need of a serious total rehabilitation, including patient care equipment, WASH and general infrastructure. An increase in diarrhea cases were reported by the Health department within Marromeu district. Following discussion with Marromeu hospital staff and reading of the entry record, approximatively 6 cases by day (AWD) have been received during the past 2 months (mid- February to mid-April) with a maximum of 20 by day and a total of 369 cases during the whole period. However, no new cases were recorded the past 2 days before our visit. The Hospital staff set up an isolation area with 2 rooms of approximately 5 beds each and chlorine solution for Hand washing, and cleaning showing a good reactivity to the increase number of cases, however, in case the peak goes up, the infrastructures could be easily overwhelmed. Generally speaking, the hospital buildings is poorly maintained and there is lot of stagnant water and waste in the surrounding and inside. Electricity was not functioning at the time of our visit. - In Luabo town, the lead administrator for the clinic stated that they also had a short spike in illnesses but were back to their baseline as of 18 April 2019. Laundo has had a team from Family Health International (FHI) assisting with the care of the population for the last two years. - Further investigations of villages downstream indicated that healthcare was hard to reach, but no particular worsening of the situation as compared to pre-flooding levels. - hospital was not visited for direct observation, however the district health officer did not report any particular rising needs or difficulties as a direct result of the cyclone. It would be advisable however for a partner agency to do a proper site assessment given the opportunity to better map the state of services in the only regional secondary level health center.

FOOD SECURITY:

The access to food, and the maintenance of livelihoods are likely the most directly affected by the heavy rain and floods. The extent of damage varies widely across the different sites that were assessed, and also the level of coping mechanisms varies per community.

- In the whole of Marromeu district, an estimated 8,000 ha (roughly 20%) of land were lost during the heavy rains and floods of March. The majority of agricultural last lost was designated for food production, and a minority for cash crops. The main crops affected are rice and corn, with also production in sesame (cash crops), cane (cash crops), beans, tomatoes, salad and manioc being lost. First hand observations in the immediate vicinity of Marromeu however did not illustrate large scale Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019

destruction of crops, and in fact showed some farmers had managed to already replant new crops following the receding of the water. The locally grown wild rice species also seemed to have survived the bad weather. While not the preferred option, it can be consumed without problem. - In Marromeu town, maize from the harvest 2019 is offered at MZN250 per 20KG bucket. Local rice is being commercialized at MZN400 per 20KG bucket. At the same time, seeds are being distributed by the local department of agriculture. While the destruction of land might not directly influence the access to food in the communities assessed, as markets seem to be functioning, and alternative sources of food have been identified. The risk is more directly linked to the loss of livelihoods, which will surely be taking a hit in the coming months. Destruction of crops might lead to the inability to produce enough for commercial purposes, thus reducing household incomes. In the medium to long term, this could have significant direct effects on household’s ability to support family livelihoods in terms of water, health, education and other. - Luabo town, located on the Zambezia river bank no major destruction of agricultural land was reported, however independent verification by the assessment team was not possible. Luabo being a trading hub along the river does have access to market systems, and upon observation it seemed markets were functioning, even if as possibly slower rates. - In Chinde, the assessment team noticed ongoing rice distributions through what seemed to be government organized support. Out of the three districts, it could be assumed that Chinde will see the most direct impact to food production and livelihoods due to its proximity to the sea, and the reported extend of storm. However, immediate observation in Chinde town did not hint at direct stress. A more thorough assessment would be needed to better analyze this situation.

SHELTER:

Overall, while some houses were clearly affected by the adverse weather conditions, the extent of damages were not alarming.

- On some occasions, total or partial collapse was witnessed with a minority of buildings. Although this is not a predominant feature in the vicinity of Marromeu, there is a need to understand if the collapse took place due to inadequate design, poor construction supervision or to force majeure. - In Chinde the number of total or partial collapsed building was slightly higher than in Marromeu but here also the same question can be posed about the quality of construction and supervision.

EDUCATION:

Based on the information collected from the representative for education in Marromeu district, out of 73 schools in Marromeu district (70 primary schools and 3 high schools) only 5 primary schools were directly affected by Cyclone Idai. All five primary schools were located in the Malignapense region.

Some schools in Chinde were affected as well, although no clear numbers were provided. An assessment which will be conducted by Save and Oxfam during the week of 22 April 2019 in Chinde might highlight such needs in a more accurate manner.

Interesting to note is the over-population of schools. While no official numbers were obtained, members of the assessment team did witness significantly large number of students attending a secondary school in Marromeu, more than would be expected for the size of the school.

Marromeu – Chinde Assessment: 17.04.2019 – 18.04.2019

III. Recommendations

1. The overall regions cannot be considered as an immediate priority in relation to the effects of Cyclone Idai. Nonetheless, there are clear opportunities to develop resilience building approaches through mainstreaming DRR within shelter reconstruction and WASH infrastructures rehabilitation project, and community based preparedness and surveillance capacity within development projects. 2. The posto of Malingapense and the more rural communities in coastal Chinde might be in relatively higher need of response, depending on further assessments. Main reported issues include Shelter and destruction of agricultural property. 3. A medium term livelihoods project, with careful consideration of impacts on the local market, could be undertaken to support affected farmers in Marromeu and Chinde districts who have witnessed destruction of land and crops. Since markets are still functioning, the use of existing market/services to deliver assistance (voucher for food security) rather than free handouts, would be recommended, following careful assessment of the systems in place. 4. Consideration should be given to possible support on Marromeu hospital in term of WASH services (provision of Certeza, improvement of the isolation area, systematic provision of water chlorinated according to use, latrines construction, improvement of waste management, provision of cleaning equipment and products, refreshment training of the team) in order to ensure that the increase in diarrhea cases can be managed. 5. It would be advisable to undertake maintenance in line with national policy in order to prevent any outbreak of communicable diseases. In addition, the deep boreholes could be blown out with a decent compressor, chlorinated (24H waiting period) and blown out again. This would provide the borehole pump with a second lease on life. The shallow large diameter wells could be pumped empty, re-excavated, chlorinated and emptied again. The pumps can with funds from the community undergo their regular maintenance. It is important to ensure that all residual chlorine is pumped out before people are allowed to use the water again. 6. “DO NO HARM” In all interventions apply the “do no harm” principle. There is a high risk of falling into the trap of undertaking maintenance and/or seed distribution in order to achieve set targets. If actors are not careful this approach will lead to a distortion and/or further degradation of the existing social and financial structures. Donor agencies should verify that proposals have enough measures built in to be able to apply the ‘do no harm’ principle. a. An example would include ensuring market stability. As markets in Marromeu and Chinde seem to continue to function, any intervention needs to ensure proper evaluation of support that could cause imbalances. Notably, it is important to review the approach of handouts. 7. In terms of Shelter, a review of design standards could be advised for Cyclone prone locations and evaluating the quality of construction supervision. In 2007 (Flavio) UNHABITAT undertook a study of structures that survived the cyclone. This study needs to be resurfaced and reviewed. With the current imagery (drones and satellite) it is very well possible to undertake a similar study and filter out aspects like design, construction, supervision. Based on this study climate resilient information related to infrastructure can be obtained.