UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and its partners on Tuesday launched the 2025 humanitarian needs and response plan as well as a flash appeal for Mozambique, to assist people impacted by the devastating Cyclone Chido.

The flash appeal requires 88 million U.S. dollars to scale up humanitarian operations to meet the most immediate and pressing needs of 320,000 people directly impacted by Chido.

As of Thursday, the death toll from the cyclone has climbed to 73 people in Mozambique, with 543 injured, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management, the country's disaster relief agency.

The cyclone has caused widespread destruction to infrastructure, with more than 70,000 homes destroyed and over 32,000 homes damaged. More than 50 health units have also been damaged.

The response plan calls for 352 million dollars to address the impacts of the ongoing conflict, as well as the projected effects of climate change in the country during the 2024-2025 rainy season.

So far, the UN and its partners, in close collaboration with the Mozambican government, have assisted more than 63,000 people with humanitarian supplies, including food, shelter and healthcare, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

However, the agency said, the scale and scope of Chido's devastation has overwhelmed the existing capacity of humanitarian agencies, which are coping with already stretched resources. Additional funding for the response is urgently needed. ■