No communication has been established with the north of the country since 7 a.m. this Sunday. Much destruction is to be feared, according to Unicef.
Tropical Cyclone Chido hit Mozambique with strong winds and heavy rains on Sunday morning, after killing nearly 14 people and causing widespread destruction in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. The cyclone appeared to have intensified as it crossed the Mozambique Channel overnight to make landfall about 40 km south of the town of Pemba in northern Mozambique, weather services said.
“The cyclone is already hitting Pemba with very high intensity. We are monitoring the situation but there has been no communication with Pemba since 7 a.m.declared to AFP the director of the National Institute of Meteorology, Adérito Aramuge. Unicef, for its part, indicated that it was on the ground to help people affected by the storm, which has already caused a lot of damage. “Countless homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or totally destroyed and we are working closely with the government to ensure the continuity of essential basic services”writes this UN agency in a press release.
“The worst-case scenario has been avoided”
The storm is expected to bring thunderstorms and strong winds with gusts of up to 260 km/h to Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, Mozambique's meteorological services said. More than 250 mm of precipitation is expected in 24 hours. Video footage from Pemba shows heavy rains and trees bent by the wind. Houses were damaged by the storm. In Mayotte, the cyclone left at least 14 dead, according to a still provisional report communicated to AFP on Sunday morning by a security source.
While Cyclone Chido moved away from the coast of Mayotte on its path towards Mozambique, the damage recorded in the Comoros was minor, except for agriculture. The Comoros, which had triggered a red alert, are now placed on post-cyclone vigilance. “The worst-case scenario has been avoided. Once the cyclone reached Mayotte, it accelerated its movement towards the West, therefore towards Mozambique.explained Saifou-Dine Aliani, head of the meteorology service, on Sunday.
The expected wind speed was 150km/h but that is not what happened. “The maximum speed was 70 km/hour in Anjouan and Mohéli”added this official. “In Anjouan, we have around ten displaced families, a few injured, landslides and a few landslides but which have not caused any casualties”declared for his part Yasser Sidi, responsible at the General Directorate of Civil Society. In Mohéli, roads remain blocked by trees which have not resisted the onslaught of the wind. “Teams are in the process of unlocking them”indicated the General Directorate of Civil Society. On the other hand, agriculture is very impacted. “All the banana plantations in Anjouan and Mohéli have been brought to the ground, raising fears of the worst for the future”added this source.
The Comoros' only international airport will resume operations early Sunday evening. Civil Aviation announced its closure on December 13 for 48 hours. “An Ethiopian Airlines flight is expected around 6 p.m., which corresponds to the opening time of the airport”indicated a civil aviation official.
