The European Union helps WFP provide food assistance to people displaced by the conflict in Northern Mozambique

The European Union, through the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), is supporting WFP’s response in Northern Mozambique, a region with one of the fastest-growing displacement crises. Since last May, the violence in Cabo Delgado province has displaced over 732,000 people, seven times more than the same period last year.

“The humanitarian situation in Northern Mozambique has pushed people to the edge. Those who managed to survive the attacks are forced to leave everything behind, including their livelihoods. We appreciate the European Union for stepping forward to ensure internally displaced people continue to receive urgent food assistance.” said Antonella D’Aprile, WFP’s Representative in Mozambique.

Thanks to the EU’s contribution, WFP will provide food to 360,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) for four months. Families will either receive a food ration composed of rice, pulses, and oil covering 80% of their daily kilocalorie requirements or, for those who live in places where supplies are available in retailers and the security situation is adequate, a voucher of MZN 3,600 (around EUR 47.00). Vouchers can be redeemed at selected retail shops to purchase food and other essential items, such as soap, sanitary supplies, detergents, toothpaste, and water sanitizers. Cash-based transfers (CBT) provide immediate relief for struggling families while positively impacting the local economy and building economic resilience.

“It is concerning that as the fragile security situation in Mozambique’s Northern Province of Cabo Delgado continues to deteriorate, thousands of families are being displaced and require urgent humanitarian assistance. At the EU, we are committed to working with partners, like the WFP, to bring life-saving assistance to the vulnerable populations, most of whom have lost their main sources of livelihood,” says Alexandre Castellano, the Head of the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid office for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region

The EU funds will also be used for WFP’s nutrition interventions in Northern Mozambique. WFP will support over 32,200 children under five years old, and pregnant and nursing mothers through the treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) of as part of the National Nutrition Rehabilitation Programme (PRN) in Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa provinces. Moreover, the EU is supporting 8,000 children under 5 years old for three months as a part of the WFP’s nutrition assistance which aims to prevent MAM among the displaced population. Given the fragile security situation, WFP will also work to strengthen local capacity in terms of protection.  With the EUR 6.7 million allocation to the WFP, DG ECHO is currently funding four WFP actions in Mozambique with a total amount of EUR 12.3 million.

The funding requirement needs until December 2021 for the response in northern Mozambique stands at US$121 million. Without additional support, WFP’s operations will be compromised, leading to the reduction or even suspension of food distribution to those in need as early as August 2021.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

 

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