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STORY: UN / MOZAMBIQUE FLOODS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
TRT: 4:06
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 30 JANUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, conference room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“In response to the government's request, the United Nations and of course, in particular OCHA’s immediate mobilization of response tools and services helped support a robust government led response. A 20 members United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team has deployed to Gaza Province and to Maputo to strengthen coordination, information management, assessment, analysis and OCHA emergency Cash Grant allowed early deployment of search and rescue teams and our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to scale up the multi-sectoral response.”
3.Wide shot, conference room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Humanitarian partners are supporting government led efforts across these countries through search and rescue operations and multi-sectoral assistance, including emergency shelter, water, sanitation, health, food assistance and protection services.”
5. Wide shot, conference room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Emergency response remains underfunded. Anticipatory action - the same, an insufficient in scale. In a world of financial resources, we must shift from reacting to disasters to acting before they strike. One by early investments in early warning; two, strengthening national preparedness and local response capacities; three, ensuring predictable, flexible funding. preparedness and anticipatory action are amongst the most cost effective tools we have to reduce humanitarian suffering.”
7. Wide shot, conference room
8. SOUNDBITE (English)Domingos Estêvão Fernandes is the Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations:
“Mozambique appeals for continued solidarity, flexible and frontloaded financing and sustained support for first lifesaving assistance in health, wash, food security, shelter and protection. Second, early recovery interventions aimed at preventing protracted crises across key sectors, including displacement, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, wash, protection, education, livelihoods, critical infrastructure and environmental degradation. Third, and lastly, investments. Investment that strengthens disaster preparedness, including early warning systems and anticipatory action while enhancing resilience to recurrent climate induced disasters.”
9. Wide shot, conference room
10.SOUNDBITE (English) Catherine Sozi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique:
“As in every crisis, the most vulnerable women, children, older persons and people with disabilities are bearing the brunt. Overcrowding in temporary accommodation sentences heightened protection risks, including gender-based violence, child separation, exploitation and psychosocial distress.”
11. Wide shot, conference room
12.SOUNDBITE (English) Catherine Sozi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique:
“The need to continue to outpace available resources and significant gap remain. In addressing these gaps, humanitarian partners have issued an addendum to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. We are seeking $187 million to assist 600,000 people with a clear focus on those most at risk - children, women, older persons, people with disabilities and displaced persons. The priorities are clear: shelter. Food security. Health, water and sanitation and hygiene, education, protection, logistics and coordination.”
13. Wide shot, conference room
UN humanitarian affairs official Edem Wosornu said that the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated five million US dollars to address the urgent humanitarian crisis caused by severe flooding in Mozambique.
Speaking at a meeting organized by the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA), Wosornu said that in response to the Mozambique government's request, the UN and in particular OCHA’s immediate mobilization of response tools and services “helped support a robust government led response.”
She said, “A 20 members United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team has deployed to Gaza Province and to Maputo to strengthen coordination, information management, assessment, analysis and OCHA emergency Cash Grant allowed early deployment of search and rescue teams.”
Wosornu highlighted that the floods are also impact countries in the southern Africa. In Malawi, floods have affected tens of thousands of people, with camps established to host climate displaced communities until safe return is possible. In South Africa, a national disaster was declared following deadly floods, with major impacts on schools, housing, essential infrastructure. Zimbabwe has recorded at least 100 deaths and widespread displacement since the start of the rainy season, as well as extensive infrastructure damage. Zambia, Madagascar, Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho and Tanzania have all reported casualties, displacement and damage to critical infrastructure.
The OCHA official said, “Humanitarian partners are supporting government led efforts across these countries through search and rescue operations and multi-sectoral assistance, including emergency shelter, water, sanitation, health, food assistance and protection services.”
Wosornu also pointed out that emergency response remains underfunded. Anticipatory action - the same, an insufficient in scale.”
She said, “In a world of financial resources, we must shift from reacting to disasters to acting before they strike. One by early investments in early warning; two, strengthening national preparedness and local response capacities; three, ensuring predictable, flexible funding. preparedness and anticipatory action are amongst the most cost effective tools we have to reduce humanitarian suffering.”
For his part, Ambassador of Mozambique appealed for “continued solidarity, flexible and frontloaded financing and sustained support for first lifesaving assistance in health, wash, food security, shelter and protection.”
He added, “Second, early recovery interventions aimed at preventing protracted crises across key sectors, including displacement, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, wash, protection, education, livelihoods, critical infrastructure and environmental degradation. Third, and lastly, investments. Investment that strengthens disaster preparedness, including early warning systems and anticipatory action while enhancing resilience to recurrent climate induced disasters.”
United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique Catherine Sozi spoke at the meeting via video link.
She said, “As in every crisis, the most vulnerable women, children, older persons and people with disabilities are bearing the brunt. Overcrowding in temporary accommodation sentences heightened protection risks, including gender-based violence, child separation, exploitation and psychosocial distress.”
Sozi also said, “The need continue to outpace available resources and significant gap remain. In addressing these gaps, humanitarian partners have issued an addendum to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.”
The Resident Coordinator added, “we are seeking $187 million to assist 600,000 people with a clear focus on those most at risk - children, women, older persons, people with disabilities and displaced persons. The priorities are clear: shelter. Food security. Health, water and sanitation and hygiene, education, protection, logistics and coordination.”
