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Mozambique is facing its worst cholera outbreak in ten years, aggravated by the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy, with Zambézia province suffering the greatest impact and almost a million people crying out for help. The floods and destruction caused by the intense rains and winds have worsened an already existing cholera outbreak. Since September last year, the disease has already claimed the lives of 124 Mozambicans.

Gonçalo Órfão, Red Cross coordinator, draws a parallel between the current situation and the aftermath of Cyclone Idai in 2019, highlighting the similarities between the two catastrophic events. However, current media coverage is scarce, affecting international solidarity. There are enormous difficulties in meeting all the population's needs, as resources are limited and the authorities have to prioritise the most serious cases and provide aid "to those who need it most".

Currently, 40 organisations are working on the ground, providing humanitarian aid and emergency relief, including international non-governmental organisations. However, 125 million euros are needed to sustain emergency aid on site. Gonçalo Órfão foresees an arduous and prolonged recovery, especially in rural areas, where subsistence conditions have deteriorated and families have become extremely vulnerable owing to the destruction of cultivated land and the disruption of the food cycle.

The International Red Cross has concentrated its efforts on the most rural districts and last week distributed more than 300 family shelter kits, containing tarpaulins, ropes, buckets and bottles of the popular Certeza water purifier. Gonçalo Órfão explains that the natural limitation of resources obliges the organisation to plan carefully and intervene where the response is quickest.

The International Federation of Red Cross operates with a lean team, made up of 280 Mozambican volunteers and a few international specialists, including a Uruguayan specialist responsible for operations and members of the Belgian and French Red Cross. A nurse specialising in public health advises the team on the ground, in Maputo.

Although the number of cholera cases continues to grow and remains worrying, there is a downward trend, thanks to a vaccination campaign that has already reached 80% of the population and the gradual recovery of the water supply. The situation, though challenging, is beginning to show signs of improvement.