Mozambique: More than 17,000 children deprived of education by Cyclone Jude

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Mozambique: More than 17,000 children deprived of education by Cyclone Jude

11:55 CAT | 14 Mar 2025

File photo: O País

Initial reports indicate that the third cyclone to hit Mozambique in recent months has destroyed schools, cutting off access to education for around 20,000 children, and damaged more than 20,000 homes.

An estimated 747,000 people, half of them children, are believed to have been affected by the strong winds, torrential rain and flash flooding that hit the northern Mozambique provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Zambezia this week.

Cyclone Jude, which hit Nampula on Monday (10-03), brought winds of up to 195 km/h and torrential rain. The cyclone caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, water and electricity systems, health facilities and schools.

Initial reports from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) suggest that 17,000 children have been left without access to education, with this number expected to rise in the coming days.

Severe flooding is also exacerbating the risk of water-borne diseases, including cholera and diarrhoea, both major threats to children’s lives. Meanwhile, severe damage to major roads is disrupting the distribution of essential goods. This comes at a time when more than 730,000 Mozambicans were already suffering the
devastating impact of tropical cyclones Chido and Dikeledi, which destroyed more than 150,000 homes, 471 schools and 100 health facilities.

“The impact of Cyclone Jude on hundreds of thousands of children and families already affected by Cyclones Chido and Dikeledi is devastating. Extreme winds and heavy rains have destroyed critical infrastructure and are depriving vulnerable children of essential services,” said Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique.

“UNICEF is working with partners and the government to respond and meet the needs of those affected, but having already responded to two cyclones in the space of just a few months, we are stretched thin and urgently need additional resources,” she said.

Source: O País