Deadly Cyclone Dikeledi Claims Lives and Impacts 35,000

Cyclone Dikeledi has caused the deaths of five people in Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula, the United Nations agency UNICEF Mozambique reported on Thursday.

What’s the Context

On Tuesday in Nampula city, Luísa Meque, chairperson of the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD) confirmed that over 35,000 people—representing more than 8,000 households—have been affected by the storm, reported the Club of Mozambique news outlet.

What to Know

The fatalities occurred when the walls of houses collapsed because of the cyclone’s force. Meque urged residents in flood-prone areas to use resilient materials for construction to better withstand climate impacts.

“Our work team, together with the affected communities, is going to study better ideas for building houses that are resistant to climate impacts,” Meque said in the Club of Mozambique report. “We’ve had cyclones that destroy almost everything. That’s why we need to find definitive solutions to reduce the negative impacts.”

How Much Damage Did Dikeledi Cause?

Dikeledi has caused extensive damage in Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula, destroying 2,903 houses and damaging an additional 6,089, according to Meque in the report.

The storm also destroyed classrooms in 35 schools and three health units were rendered inoperable, further compounding the community’s struggles.

Infrastructure was severely affected, with 82 electricity pylons toppled and 127 hectares of cultivated land flooded.

The INGD continues to coordinate relief efforts as the region recovers from the devastation.

Have There Been Any Other Cyclones in the Region?

Last month, Cyclone Chido claimed the lives of more than 100 people in Mozambique and Malawi after devastating the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte and making landfall on mainland Africa.

Mozambique has endured a series of increasingly catastrophic cyclones in recent years, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to severe weather. In 2019 Cyclone Idai claimed over 1,300 lives across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

More recently, Cyclone Freddy, which struck last year, killed over 1,000 people across several countries, further emphasizing the escalating frequency and intensity of storms in the region.

These disasters underscore the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness as communities struggle to recover from repeated cyclonic onslaughts and mitigate future risks.

What People Are Saying

Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Mozambique Representative said on Thursday in response to Newsweek’s request for comment: “The impact of Cyclone Dikeledi on Mozambique—a country already reeling from Cyclone Chido—has been devastating. With the combined impact of the two cyclones, almost half a million people have been impacted and over 100,000 homes, over 1000 schools and many health facilities have been damaged or completely destroyed.”

UNICEF Mozambique said in a post from its X account on Thursday: “Cyclone #Dikeledi has left 5 dead and has impacted almost 40,000 people in #Mozambique’s Nampula province. The National Institute for Disaster Management reports 6000+ houses have been damaged or destroyed, as well as 3 health facilities & 35 schools, affecting 2,562 students.”

What Happens Next

Relief efforts are underway as authorities and humanitarian organizations work to support survivors and assess the full scale of the devastation.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press