The Mozambique Red Cross Society implements anticipatory actions ahead of the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Gezani

After making landfall in Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Gezani was forecast to move towards Mozambique. The cyclone was expected to cause humanitarian impacts in vulnerable communities across the south of the country, many of which were also affected by floods in December and January.

In anticipation of these impacts, the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (Instituto Nacional de Gestão e Redução do Riscos de Desastre/INGD) issued an official activation declaration on 9 February to initiate anticipatory action. Following this declaration, the Mozambique Red Cross Society (Cruz Vermelha de Moçambique/CVM) partially operationalized its early action protocol (EAP) for cyclones, implementing selected 'no regret' actions in communities in Inhassoro District, Inhambane Province. Other organizations are also providing anticipatory support. 

Subsequent updates to the forecast indicated that the cyclone’s trajectory and intensity had shifted, with projected wind speeds and impacts lower than initially anticipated in the target areas. In line with the EAP’s built-in adjustment mechanisms, CVM prioritized low- to no-regret actions and decided not to proceed with additional activities once it became clear that severe impacts were unlikely to materialize in Inhassoro District.

Life-saving anticipatory actions

The actions focused on saving lives, protecting vulnerable houses, and reducing the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. The operation was originally planned to reach 10,000 of the most vulnerable people through different actions:

• The dissemination of early warnings and awareness-raising activities were completed as planned. 
• Materials to reinforce vulnerable houses and school buildings were distributed.
• The distribution of essential water, sanitation and hygiene items (e.g., buckets, jerrycans, soap), and demonstrations on their safe use, were not completed as planned, as the impacts in Inhassoro District did not materialize as expected.

In line with official government thresholds, CVM operationalizes its EAP for cyclones based on forecast wind speeds exceeding 119 km/h. This marks the second time the EAP has been triggered since its reapproval in 2023, when implementation was adjusted in line with evolving forecasts and updated risk analysis. In 2025, CVM implemented anticipatory actions ahead of Cyclone Jude.

The operation took place in a complex operational context. Many of the target communities were only beginning to recover from the floods in December and January when the cyclone threat emerged. At the same time as delivering anticipatory actions, CVM continued to support ongoing flood-response operations, which required careful coordination of resources and personnel.

Despite these overlapping demands, it mobilized its teams and volunteers to ensure that the anticipatory actions were implemented in a timely manner to reduce further humanitarian impacts.