Cyclone Chido kills dozens as Mozambique faces widespread devastation

At least 34 people have died while Cyclone Chido has displaced 175,000 others in Mozambique, officials said on Tuesday.

According to a flash update issued by the country’s National Institute for Natural Disaster, the northern provinces of Niassa, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado have seen the highest fatalities and massive destruction.

Schools and health units were among the buildings, and infrastructure was reportedly destroyed, hindering the delivery of social services in the provinces.

Officials in the Southeast African nation said the number of fatalities is likely to rise as "assessment of the damage is still under way."

So far, about $4 million has been committed to the affected areas in an early humanitarian response.

In neighbouring Malawi, two people have been reported dead while 1,800 others have been left homeless, according to the country’s Disaster and Management Affairs Department.

The country’s southern region has reportedly been hardest hit.

On Sunday, Chido made landfall in Mozambique, bringing strong winds, thunderstorms, and heavy rainfall exceeding 250 millimetres in 24 hours. The cyclone then moved to Malawi.