26-year-old Massiala was eight months pregnant when Tropical Cyclone Chido tore through Mozambique and destroyed her home.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” she told us. “Everything was gone. My sweet home, where I felt safe, was no more.”

Homes, roads, and communication networks in northern Mozambique have been reduced to rubble or washed away completely. Many pregnant women were already grappling with displacement due to years-long conflict, but this latest disaster adds a new layer of suffering.

Tropical Cyclone Chido is estimated to have taken the lives of 120 people and affected over 450,000 more. A lack of shelter, food shortages, and the need for long-term medical and psychosocial support are key priorities for recovery. But with more than 40% of hospitals damaged, over 12,000 pregnant women are left with even scarcer access to healthcare.

Amid growing climate and funding challenges, UNFPA is focused on ensuring women and girls living through crises have access to critical health services while safeguarding their well-being and resilience. By training and deploying nurses and midwives to hard-to-reach areas, we’re working towards filling the gaps in crucial support for mothers like Massiala despite the challenges of Cyclone Chido.

“This support gives us hope,” said Massiala. “It shows us we are not alone.”

Resources are stretched thin, and greater support is urgently needed. Can you make a gift to deliver lifesaving care today? Your donation will deliver hope and healthcare to women and girls in Mozambique and over 150 other countries.

Thank you for being there for women and girls.

— USA for UNFPA