Northern Mozambique emergency | World Food Programme

Conflict in Cabo Delgado province is entering its sixth year. Since 2017, it has displaced 784,564 people in northern Mozambique. From July 2021, security forces from the Southern African Development Community and Rwanda were deployed to support Mozambique’s security forces. This enabled intermittent humanitarian access in districts such as Palma, Muidumbe and Quissanga. However, the situation remains volatile as attacks from non-state armed groups have reversed access gains, such as in Macomia district. Prolonged and new displacements are disrupting livelihoods, including agricultural production, limiting access to basic social services, and exacerbating protection risks, particularly for women and girls. With growing and protracted needs, the World Food Programme (WFP) is conducting a vulnerability assessment to ensure assistance reaches those most in need, while mitigating protection risks such as making the response more gender-sensitive and enhancing transparency of WFP’s targeting by outlining clear vulnerability criteria backed with data.

What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the Northern Mozambique emergency

Emergency food assistance: WFP supplies food assistance to 940,000 people in conflict-afflicted parts of Cabo Delgado, including the provinces of Nampula and Niassa). In March 2022, WFP reached 860,840 people in Cabo Delgado and 71,760 in Nampula in this way. However, in April and May rations were cut in half because of a lack of funds.
Immediate Response Rations (IRRs): When people flee from violence, they need immediate life-saving assistance. WFP provides ready-to-eat and easy-to-cook food for a family of five, which covers all of their caloric needs for the first 15 days – and until they are included in WFP’s regular monthly food assistance.
General food distribution: After registration, internally displaced people living in transit centres, with host communities or in resettlement sites, receive either food or cash from WFP. People receive a monthly food ration covering 78 percent of daily kilocalorie needs, consisting of 50kg of rice, 10kg of beans and 4 litres of vegetable oil with in-kind food assistance. Where minimum market conditions are met, food vouchers are supplied to families as part of its cash-based transfer programme.
Livelihoods: Resilience and livelihoods projects are key components of WFP’s strategy to address the root causes of vulnerability and reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance in Cabo Delgado. WFP has been gradually complementing life-saving food assistance with recovery and resilience activities, especially in areas where people have access to land. WFP supported approximately 45,000 people with agricultural kits for the main planting season in six districts of Cabo Delgado.
Nutrition: WFP’s Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme provides specialized nutritious foods to displaced children aged under-5. Since June 2021, more than 67,000 children were assisted. WFP also supports Government efforts to prevent and treat acute malnutrition through the National Rehabilitation Programme by conducting malnutrition screenings, trainings of health staff and distributing specialized nutritious foods to health facilities for children aged under-5and pregnant and breastfeeding women. WFP facilitated HIV/TB screenings and treatment for 10,547 people – both internally displaced and in host communities – across the Montepuez and Mueda districts of Cabo Delgado.
Logistics and common services: In the absence of commercial flights and to address other transport restrictions, the WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) launched its Cabo Delgado operation in December 2020. UNHAS transports people, food and other essentials to communities in need. WFP also supports humanitarian partners with storage, transport solutions and handling-services – critical as demands continue to rise.