WFP welcomes the U.S. Government’s support to improve food security of displaced families in Mozambique
MAPUTO – The World Food Programme in Mozambique (WFP) welcomed the visit of the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, on 14 June to the WFP warehouse in Matola City. At this occasion, the US Government also announced a US$29.5 million donation to support WFP’s humanitarian food assistance to 940,000 people affected by insecurity, conflict, and natural disasters in northern Mozambique as well as the improvement of the registration of displaced populations jointly with the Government of Mozambique and partners.
The U.S. contribution comes at a highly critical time for the communities affected by the conflict in Cabo Delgado and in nearby provinces. Food assistance has nearly doubled this year. In the beginning of 2021, WFP assisted nearly half a million people. By May 2022, WFP’s assistance scaled up to reach 940,000 people. U.S. assistance has also served to respond to the rise in food insecurity worldwide, due to the war in Ukraine.
WFP Country Director Antonella D’Aprile said: ‘WFP gladly welcomes the visit of the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ms. Victoria Nuland. With so many overlapping crises around the world, the contribution of US$29.5 million from the United States to the people of Mozambique is praiseworthy. The consistent support of the United States over the years is ensuring that families who are suffering from the conflict do not fall deeper into food insecurity’, said D’Aprile. ‘The food assistance together with the recovery of livelihoods are key to create peace and stability for Mozambique and offer a better future to the next generations‘.
The continuous support from donors like the United States is fundamental to maintain WFP Mozambique’s life-saving operations in the north, where insecurity and devastating natural disasters continue to drive repeated displacement and hunger. Most vulnerable families rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance. The northern region is home to 70 percent of Mozambique’s acute food insecurity, according to the latest IPC[1].
The United States Government is the largest donor and partner of the life-saving operations of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Mozambique. Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WFP Mozambique has received a total of US$207 million in contributions since 2017. Currently, donors such as the U.S. Government are enabling WFP to support 940,000 conflict-affected people in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is 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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[1] Source: https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1155342/?iso3=MOZ