[Mozambique] The Unending Devastation Caused by Natural Disasters and Conflicts Amid Climate Change
In December 2024, the large tropical cyclone “Chido” struck northern Mozambique, affecting approximately 453,000 people. In response to this situation, Peace Winds dispatched staff to the area to begin emergency support. However, natural disasters like this occur almost every year in Mozambique. In the fourth installment of the series “Learning About Refugee Issues,” we spoke with Nao Iwano, who has been providing support in the region since 2019, about the humanitarian crisis in Mozambique, which is suffering from natural disasters caused by climate change.
Cyclone damage also causes secondary disasters, such as cholera infections.
Mozambique, located in southeastern Africa, is geographically positioned along the cyclone path, meaning cyclones occur almost every year. Preventing the occurrence of cyclones themselves is not possible, so as a result, disasters occur every year to varying degrees. The major damages include water-related disasters such as storm surges and river flooding, as well as windstorms that cause roofs to be blown off or buildings to collapse. Not only do people lose their homes, but agricultural crops are also damaged, leading to a lack of food. Another issue, which might be difficult to imagine in Japan, is that in Mozambique many people use simple pit latrines. When floods occur, the waste from these latrines often overflows. As a result, cholera and other infectious diseases can spread, making this a major secondary disaster caused by cyclones.
What measures and support are the Mozambican government providing?
The Mozambican government recognizes people who lose their homes due to cyclones as “internally displaced persons” and provides them with new land. The affected people first register at temporary shelters, and then they are relocated to “Resettlement Centers” where they are expected to build their own homes. A “Resettlement Center” refers to an area where displaced persons are resettled, and this is one of the major characteristics of Mozambique’s domestic displacement support. The government’s focus is not just on temporary shelter but on providing new land for the displaced people to settle permanently.
So, the displaced people are expected to build their own homes?
Yes. Aid organizations distribute materials for constructing homes. These materials are meant for building homes using traditional African methods, typically involving hardened earth, bamboo, and wood. The roofs are often made from tarpaulin or similar materials, providing basic protection from rain and wind, even though they are simple structures.
The land provided for building homes is often untouched, and the land is usually not cleared, meaning residents first have to clear the land themselves. Sometimes, this may even require starting from cutting down trees in a forest.Unlike other countries where governments or NGOs set up refugee camps, the basic policy of the government is to ask people not to settle in areas prone to flooding or inundation, but to move to other locations. In exchange, they are provided with new land.
Vulnerable people are falling further into poverty
What kind of support is Peace Winds providing in Mozambique?
As far as the government is concerned, their support only extends to providing the land, and after that, NGOs, including Peace Winds, step in to offer assistance. Peace Winds entered the affected area when Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique in 2019, causing significant damage, and since then, they have continued to provide support tailored to the needs, including this current emergency aid. Specifically, Peace Winds provides materials to build homes, food distribution, and works to establish infrastructure such as water supply, as many of the resettlement areas designated by the government are undeveloped. Therefore, they don’t just build homes but also dig wells and support creating a livable environment.
Once basic living infrastructure is in place, the next step is to construct social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals as needed. The goal is to establish permanent settlement areas, essentially building villages.Another ongoing challenge is how to create livelihoods. Even if the living environment is ready, without income, sustaining life is difficult. So, the major flow of humanitarian aid begins with emergency support such as building homes to protect from rain and wind, establishing living and social infrastructure, and finally, providing livelihood support to help people sustain themselves.
Does moving to these resettlement areas mean they could be hit by disaster again, considering cyclones occur every year?
Resettlement areas are typically designated in places less likely to experience flooding, so it’s unlikely they will be affected by flooding again. However, cyclones bring not only heavy rain but also strong winds, which can cause roofs to be blown off or even the complete collapse of homes. Unfortunately, since the houses are makeshift, their structural strength is weak, and while they may be spared from flooding, the damage from wind-related destruction is a recurring problem.
So, as long as cyclones continue, it seems there will be a need for support every year.
Yes, unfortunately, due to the effects of climate change, sea surface temperatures have risen, making tropical depressions more likely to form, and cyclones are not only continuing but becoming more frequent. Moreover, in recent years, international funding for humanitarian aid has been shrinking, and in reality, the funds and resources to provide support are no longer keeping up. As a result, while we can still manage to provide emergency support for basic infrastructure and recovery, there are many cases where we are forced to withdraw support from projects before we can address social infrastructure or livelihood assistance.
In this harsh situation, the major problem on the ground is the increasing vulnerability of people who are further impoverished by repeated natural disasters. People who were already at a low economic level suffer from these disasters, losing their homes, food, clothing, and everything else, and unfortunately, they no longer have the economic power to rebuild from scratch. In other words, rather than recovery, the ongoing cycle of disasters is causing already impoverished living conditions to decline even further, creating a humanitarian crisis in Mozambique. Additionally, Mozambique is dealing with the problem of not only internally displaced persons (IDPs) caused by natural disasters, but also those who have lost their homes due to internal conflicts and have nowhere to return to.
Unrelenting atrocities committed by Armed Groups against Refugees.
It seems both natural disasters and conflict-induced displacement are spreading.
Yes, essentially, the areas where people displaced by natural disasters and those fleeing from conflict take shelter are different. The areas affected by conflict are primarily near the border of Tanzania in the northern part of the country. The areas affected by cyclones are concentrated in the central region. Displaced people fleeing from conflict also go through the same registration process for internally displaced persons, after which they are provided land and resettle in the designated resettlement areas. While natural disasters are becoming more severe, the situation regarding conflict-induced displacement is becoming even more critical. According to data from UNHCR, the number of people displaced by the cyclone Chid in December has sharply increased, and by November 2024, there were 139,333 internally displaced people due to natural disasters. Furthermore, the number of those displaced by conflict has reached a much higher figure, 577,545.
The northern area, compared to the central region, has seen fewer cyclone impacts in recent years (until the Chid cyclone), but attacks from armed groups are ongoing. Even though people are trying to rebuild their lives in resettlement areas, they frequently find themselves having to flee again. Typically, refugee camps ensure basic safety, but in the northern resettlement areas of Mozambique, safety is not guaranteed.
Is it possible to escape to a safer place, such as a refugee camp in another country?
Even for those who want to escape, many people have to move on foot due to economic reasons. There is a reality where even if they wish to flee to a farther place, they simply cannot afford to do so.Also, while it may not be appropriate to compare, the conflict occurring in Mozambique is not a war between countries, but rather a situation where armed groups often raid villages in terrorist attacks. The smaller scale of these attacks may contribute to the perception that if people flee a short distance, they can find temporary safety.
However, these armed groups relentlessly pursue villages, not only burning houses and looting food and goods while residents flee, but also committing brutal acts such as decapitating people to instill fear and force people to run. There are also reports of women and children being abducted, and young men being recruited by armed groups as soldiers. Due to their dire economic situation, people who are offered money by the armed groups in exchange for joining their ranks often have no choice but to comply, as it’s a matter of survival. Peace Winds is working to prevent this cycle, and by providing livelihood support, they help people live self-sufficiently, which can also contribute to peacebuilding.
To Protect hope, We Never Give Up
In the face of repeated disasters and conflicts, do domestic displaced refugees have any hope for the future ?
The situation remains harsh. When I first began providing support in 2019, villages had been devastated by a cyclone, and everyone had lost everything, suffering such severe physical and mental damage that they couldn’t recover. Furthermore, with repeated disasters, there was a risk of increasing exhaustion. However, even in such difficult circumstances, there are people who are determined to confront natural disasters in order to help their families and communities.
For example, community-based disaster preparedness groups have been formed in each village. When there is a cyclone forecast, everyone works together to pile sandbags to prepare for flooding, and they take actions like nailing boards over windows to prevent them from breaking.Additionally, though small, there have been incidents where children who were playing outside lost their lives during a cyclone. Thanks to awareness campaigns, today, there are no children playing outside before a cyclone hits. Family-level disaster awareness has definitely increased, and the number of casualties from cyclones has steadily decreased. These facts are a great source of support for us as aid workers.
On the other hand, the conflict in the northern part of the country has been ongoing since 2017, with no signs of resolution, and those of us providing aid are beginning to feel exhausted.After all the effort put into aid, just as we were on the brink of helping people build a new future, disasters and attacks force people to flee once again… Being on the ground, I’ve experienced many emotions mixed with frustration, sadness, regret, and anger, time and time again.
Honestly, even those of us providing aid are close to losing hope, but despite the hardships, there are people who continue to live with hope in the resettlement areas. While we can’t always achieve 100% positive results, it’s also true that the support we’ve been providing for years is beginning to show its impact. Feeling a sense of purpose in this, we must continue our support without giving up, doing everything we can. Moreover, the current situation in Mozambique, unfortunately, is not well known, even globally, including in Japan. With few Japanese organizations providing aid on the ground, we continue to share the reality of what’s happening here, hoping that more people will become aware.
Emergency Aid to Cyclone ‘Chido’ Affected Areas
On December 15, 2024, the large tropical depression Cyclone “Chido” caused severe damage in northern Mozambique, affecting over 450,000 people. In response to this situation, Peace Winds dispatched an emergency support team from Japan and is focusing on restoring essential infrastructure, such as repairing damaged water supply facilities, as part of their emergency relief efforts. We kindly ask for your support in providing urgent aid to the affected areas.