Mozambique attacks: District of Palma supplied by sea- Watch

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Mozambique attacks: District of Palma supplied by sea- Watch

3:11 CAT | 10 Mar 2021

Photo: TVM

Palma district in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, where Africa’s largest private natural gas extraction investment is located, is being supplied with essential goods by sea due to insecurity in the region.

A total of 40 tonnes of cargo arrived at the district headquarters on Sunday on a ship privately chartered under the supervision of the district director for Economic Activities, António Khanlawia, Radio Mozambique announced this Wednesday (10-03).

Another 160 tonnes of goods are expected to arrive this week on two ships, in partnership with a transport company which serves the Total-led gas mega project and which had, in the last week, already supplied the district with 180 tons of goods.

With an estimated population of around 50,000 people, Palma is under particular pressure as it now hosts 23,000 displaced people (United Nations data) fleeing the conflict between armed forces and rebels that has plagued the region since 2017.

The town of Palma and the surrounding areas, including the future ‘gas city’ construction zone and the industrial complex on the Afungi peninsula, have mostly been spared the conflict, and serve as a refuge, but the attacks and clashes have cut off land access routes.

Reports indicate that Palma’s isolation has prompted price speculation on basic products such as rice, sugar or fuels. Director for Economic Activities, António Khanlawia, acknowledges the rise in fuel prices, particularly in the informal market, but minimises the impact on other products

According to the latest report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), “insecurity has increased the cost of commodities in many parts of Cabo Delgado”, including Palma district.

The entire coastal region of Cabo Delgado leads relief agencies’ lists of hunger and food insecurity in Mozambique.

Armed violence in Cabo Delgado province is causing a humanitarian crisis with more than 2,000 deaths and 670,000 internally displaced people, without housing or food, across the north of the country.

Some of the rebel incursions were claimed by the Islamic State ‘jihadist’ group between June 2019 and November 2020, but the source of the attacks remains under debate.

The security situation led Total at the end of 2020 to reduce its number of workers and slow down the work on the gas megaproject until a security perimeter was guaranteed by the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces (FDS).

However, the expected date for the start of liquefied natural gas exports remains unchanged at 2024.

The capacity to supply food products to the population of the Palma district headquarters village has improved with the arrival on Sunday of a ship transporting more than 40 tons of cargo,, TVM reports.

According to the Director of Economic Activities in Palma, two more vessels may dock this week, each carrying 80 tons of diverse food products to relieve shortages in a district which has been the target of persistent terrorist attacks.

Watch the TVM report on Sunday, from Palma town, the district headquarters.