Mozambique - ACJR 2023 (Project) SUMMARY: 
The programme combines FSL and WASH interventions with protection mainstreaming to maximise impact for the targeted individuals, households and communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy (TCF). Consumption support (food assistance) and access to safe drinking water are critical to saving lives in the immediate aftermath of a rapid onset emergency where the affected population's sources of livelihoods have been destroyed and water sources contaminated.  According to INGD data (22 March 2023), the number of cholera cases has risen to 11,158 with a 0.7% fatality rate due to consumption of contaminated water. The loss of this year’s harvest puts more than 888,000 people from approximately 177,600 households at risk of food insecurity. The destruction caused by TCF presents serious consequences for young women and children, especially girls, who are at a higher risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. Cyclone Freddy brought devastating floods and destruction to Mozambique in February 2023. It made landfall on 24 Feb and then again on 11 March through Zambezia to other Provinces with max. winds of 148 km/h and gusts up to 213 km/h. According to 22 March data (INGD), Freddy affected 891,582 people (166 dead & 656 injured) in: Zambezia (628K), Sofala (140K), Tete (101K), Manica (6K) and Niassa (16K). 

As of 22 March, 180K people were displaced and housed in 217 accommodation centers. The number of affected people will increase as rains & floods continue and more needs assessments take place. Authorities foresee an increase in the volume of water discharges in the (sub)basins of the rivers upstream, which may cause moderate to high floods. Floods already affected hectares of crops ready for harvesting, impacting food security & peoples' main income source. 

Water supply and sanitation systems, electricity and roads were devastated. Heavy rains & floods (coupled with poor hygiene) are a concern as cholera cases are rising. As of 26 March (MISAU, Daily Cholera Bulletin), 18K Cholera cases were reported in 7 provinces incl. Zambezia. Damaged homes, lack of safe H2O & hygiene materials are posing particular risks for women & girls. Plan & NANA propose an integrated life-saving FSL & WASH response that is fully aligned with the CHS and SPHERE standards, aiming to meet immediate humanitarian needs while also building local capacities, involving programme beneficiaries in the project and ensuring accountability. 

Plan will provide food vouchers as well as hygiene kits (incl. water purification products) to prevent immediate loss of life due to hunger and cholera. Sector complimentary activities will include protection mainstreaming, health and hygiene messaging and awareness raising on cholera disease prevention, aiming to reach 9500 people. The project is fully in line with the relevant cluster standards, providing food vouchers with a value of 3820MT per month per HH for 3 months (targeting 950 HH), while also providing hygiene kits with contents in line with the WASH cluster’s agreed standard.  A protection mapping will be completed in coordination with the Protection cluster, enabling referrals to specialised services wherever required. Plan & NANA have presence and existing working teams in Zambezia, with offices in Mocuba and the operational capacity to work in the affected districts. Both organisations are already actively responding to cyclone Freddy and have a great understanding of the area as well as a strong working relationship with local government, meaning that permissions to respond are already in place. Plan has been working with the local government, addressing the emergency situation since the first landfall in Zambezia, and jointly selected the target districts based on the identified needs. Plan & NANA will thus be able to start beneficiary identification and selection processes within 12 days of the project starting. Plan has pre-qualified relief suppliers and vendors, which will ensure the timely delivery of the hygiene kits and food vouchers. Rapid market assessments have also already been conducted in the target areas to inform the cash based intervention rapidly. The selection of target programme participants (beneficiaries) will be done in a participatory manner, in line with humanitarian principles to ensure that the most vulnerable people from the most affected communities are selected. From preliminary findings of the ongoing joint RNA, such vulnerable groups include households headed by women, households headed by children, households headed by elderly people, households headed by chronically ill persons or persons with disability, households with children that are already showing signs on malnutrition, households with PLWs or taking care of CwDs, as well as extremely large households. The acute-socio economic vulnerabilities in the affected areas are likely to increase the risks for vulnerable families, and particularly adolescent girls and women. This includes negative coping mechanisms such as CEFM, child trafficking and child labour as well as SGBV.  Considering the above, the project expects to target more adult women than adult men.