At least 34 people have been killed and 175,000 displaced as Cyclone Chido ravages Mozambique, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The cyclone struck with unrelenting fury, battering the northern provinces of Niassa, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado with destructive winds and heavy rainfall.
Schools, health centers, and vital infrastructure have crumbled under the force of the storm, leaving communities without access to essential services.
Mozambique’s National Institute for Natural Disaster reports the death toll is likely to rise as assessments of the devastation continue.
In neighboring Malawi, Cyclone Chido has claimed two lives and displaced over 1,800 people, local disaster officials revealed.
Malawi’s southern region remains the hardest hit, where families now grapple with homelessness and rising floodwaters.
On Sunday, the cyclone made landfall in Mozambique, delivering torrential rains exceeding 250 millimeters within 24 hours.
Officials described scenes of widespread panic as Chido’s violent winds uprooted homes and submerged villages beneath rising torrents.
To date, $4 million has been committed to Mozambique’s humanitarian response as recovery efforts begin in the battered nation.
Relief agencies warn that the scale of destruction is immense, with vulnerable families facing food insecurity and disease outbreaks.
