The tropical cyclone Chido, which struck the province of Cabo Delgado on December 15, caused severe damage to both the education and health sectors, with recovery expected to incur high costs.
In a recent statement
released over the weekend, the National Institute for Disaster Management
(INGD) revealed that 109,793 students were affected, 250 schools were
destroyed, and over a thousand teachers were impacted.
"109,793 students were
affected, with school infrastructure severely damaged. At least 250 schools
became unusable, along with 1,126 classrooms that were affected. Additionally,
1,556 teachers were also impacted by the cyclone's effects, worsening the challenges
of resuming education in the affected regions."
This implies that next year,
the education sector in Cabo Delgado will face significant challenges, with
many students expected to study under precarious conditions, which will also be
a challenge for the teachers.
The damage to healthcare,
according to the INGD, was also severe in the province, which was already
facing post-terrorist attack reconstruction challenges. The agency stated that
at least 52 health units were destroyed.
"The cyclone damaged 52
health units, compromising the delivery of essential health services in the
affected areas," the statement said, acknowledging that "this
situation puts medical assistance for thousands of people at risk, especially
in areas where access to health services was already limited before the
disaster."
In the same statement, the
INGD noted that cyclone "Chido" highlights the vulnerability of
infrastructure and underscores, once again, the fragility of social infrastructure
to climate change.
The INGD also emphasized
that the country needs to learn more about planning, stressing "the need
for resilient planning to mitigate future impacts."
In Cabo Delgado, cyclone
"Chido" affected the districts of Pemba, Metuge, Namuno, Balama, Ancuabe,
Montepuez, Mecufi, and Chiúre. (AA)
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