WFP welcomes Norway's support to its humanitarian response in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique where insecurity is on the rise
MAPUTO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a donation from the Government of Norway towards emergency operations in the humanitarian crisis-stricken province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique. Norway’s contribution of 10 million Norwegian Kroner (approx. US$1 million) will enable WFP to assist 32,000 Internally Displaced Populations through in-kind food assistance for a period of two months. Ongoing insurgent armed attacks in the northernmost districts of Cabo Delgado province have displaced over 300,000 people as of September 2020, who seeked refuge in Nampula, Niassa and Zambezia provinces.
“For us, who have formally cooperated with Mozambique for over 40 years, it is a great sadness to see a whole development effort collapsed, first by cyclones Idai and Kenneth that hit the country in March and April 2019, and now, every time accelerated by the armed insurgency in northern Cabo Delgado.”, said Tom Edvard Eriksen, Chargé d’Affaires at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique. “Indeed, our attention in recent times has turned to the difficult situation in Cabo Delgado. We hope that the agreement that we signed today will contribute to alleviate the suffering of displaced Mozambicans who are currently in a dire situation. We also expect that, in addition to food support, the necessary facilities can also be provided to help prevent community contamination by Covid-19, which is currently on the rise”.
WFP currently provides humanitarian food assistance to over 200,000 people in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces in collaboration with local authorities and humanitarian partners. WFP’s response mainly consists of the distribution of in-kind food and vouchers to the most vulnerable, the treatment of malnutrition among children and women, social and behavior change communication for improved nutrition, and the collaboration with other UN agencies, international non-governmental organizations (INGO), and Government partners in the establishment of COVID-19 treatment centres.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Norway for its generous support to WFP over the past few years, including in 2019 during which two devastating cyclones hit the country”, said Antonella D’Aprile, WFP’s Representative in Mozambique. “We are deeply concerned that the negative impacts of climate change, massive displacement of people due to insecurity and the COVID-19 crisis, have led to a complex humanitarian crisis In Cabo Delgado. It requires collective multi-sectorial interventions, not only to save lives now but also to work towards a sustainable solution. We are working with communities to reinstate their preferred livelihoods for a sustained development.
In 2019, Norway provided US$ 3.1 million for recovery interventions in Cyclone Idai (Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambezia) and Kenneth-affected provinces (Cabo Delgado and Nampula). Through the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD), Norway is also supporting a Forecast-based Financing (FbF) project targeting a few countries, including Mozambique - which enables anticipatory actions for disaster mitigation at the community and government levels using seasonal and weather forecasts.
Alongside other humanitarian partners, WFP is strongly committed to serve the most vulnerable displaced populations who are suffering due to the escalation of violence since its outbreak in 2017. Considering the escalation of conflict in Cabo Delgado and the anticipated increase in the number of displaced persons, WFP plans to increase assistance to conflict-affected IDPs in Cabo Delgado and other northern provinces.
Photos of IDPs in an accommodation centre in Cabo Delgado available here
Photos of the funding agreement signing available here
Photos of WFP food distribution to IDPs in Metuge, Cabo Delgado available here.
# # #
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow WFP on Twitter @wfp_mozambique; @WFP_Africa