Mozambique: Food insecurity looms in Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique: Food insecurity looms in Cabo Delgado

10:54 CAT | 16 Jan 2021

File photo: RM

The northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado is on the verge of serious hunger and a consequent increase in chronic child malnutrition, as food production especially in districts affected by terrorism has recorded very poor yields.

The hunger threat was confirmed on Thursday in Pemba, the provincial capital, by the Provincial Director of Economic Activities, Agai Mario, who said the terror attacks have had a disastrous impact on the output of several sectors of the provincial economy, especially agriculture, which employs over 80 per cent of the population.

“Since the start of terror attacks in 2017, over 80,000 households have abandoned agriculture, a move which obviously had a negative impact. Currently, the displaced families depend on food aid to prevent hunger,” Mario said.

Agriculture was the foremost economic activity and the main source of household income for communities in districts such as Mocimboa da Praia, Quissanga, Muidumbe, and Macomia, where tens of thousands of people have fled from their farms because of the raids by islamist terrorists.

Food security in several communities is highly compromised because of the ongoing instability that has forced them to abandon farming and live as internally displaced people in accommodation centres. The situation has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

At the accommodation centres, the displaced are in dire need of an adequate nutritional diet, and sometimes face hunger as they depend exclusively on aid provided by the government, the World Food Programme (WFP) and other cooperation partners.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recognises the risk of food insecurity as well as the increasing level of malnutrition. Hence, it is stepping up assistance at the accommodation centres, providing farming inputs so that households can resume production.

The provincial FAO Coordinator, Gaudencio Monteiro, said besides insecurity and instability, the province is still recovering from the impact of Cyclone Kenneth, which hit Cabo Delgado in April 2019.

At Tocota and Maricane accommodation centres, in the disrtricts of Metuge and Ancuabe, food aid provided by the government, WFP and other humanitarian organisations is not delivered on time, causing pressure on the host communities, who have been dipping into their own food stocks to assist the displaced.

Source: AIM