Mozambique – COVID-19 Preparedness Assessment in the Resettlement Sites (April 2020)

The current outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in a global pandemic, heightening the risk to vulnerable populations, internally displaced people and people on the move. On 22 March 2020, the Government of Mozambique officially declared the first positive COVID-19 case, ever since, the caseload has increased to 39 as of 22 April 2020.  Concern about the potential spread of COVID-19 in Mozambique was elevated in late March, when according to Mozambique’s National Migration Service (SENAMI) over 14,000 Mozambican migrants returned from South Africa over the Ressano Garcia border within a span of a few days, as South Africa declared lockdown due to COVID-19., further heightening the risk to vulnerable population especially the internally displaced population.

In response to this pandemic, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in collaboration with the Government of Mozambique’s National Disaster Management Agency (INGC) conducted an assessment in the resettlement sites from 10 to 19 April 2020, with the sole purpose to inform the government and humanitarian partners on the preparedness and precautionary measures that are available in resettlement sites hosting displaced populations since Idai cyclone. The information gathered will help decision-makers to plan interventions and restrictions as well as recommend health and site preparations measures for outbreak prevention and containment in the resettlement sites in the central region.

In the 71 resettlement sites assessed, four sites (Bandua 2019 and Maximedje sites in Buzi district and Chibue and Muawa sites in Sussudenga district) reported that in the past month, 11 migrant workers from South Africa settled in the sites.  Of these four sites, only one site reported medically examining the health condition of the migrants before entry.