Mozambique: WFP halves food rations until further funding confirmed

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Mozambique: WFP halves food rations until further funding confirmed

2:58 CAT | 14 Jul 2022

File photo: WFP

The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it will only distribute half rations to people in northern Mozambique until further funds are confirmed.

Islamist terrorism since 2017 has forced around 800,000 people to flee from their homes and livelihoods in parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Although the Mozambican defence and security forces, supported by a Rwandan military contingent and soldiers from SAMIM (SADC Military Mission in Mozambique), have had some success in dislodging the terrorists, many people are still waiting for more stability before returning home.

WFP provides food assistance to these people and host communities. However, in its latest country brief, WFP points out that in June it provided life-saving food assistance to 395,524 people in northern Mozambique. It plans to increase this to 925,825 people in July.

It notes that “to ensure the most vulnerable people in northern Mozambique are reached despite limited resources, WFP is conducting a vulnerability-based targeting exercise to prioritise assistance according to vulnerability instead of displacement status”. It adds that it “wants to make sure that food assistance is reaching those who need it most while mitigating protection issues and enhancing the transparency of humanitarian assistance”.

In addition, WFP is helping to rebuild their lives by providing 44,000 people in five districts in the province with agricultural kits for the main planting season.

WFP requires 17.3 million US dollars per month to sustain its operations in northern Mozambique and warns that “if additional funds are not received in a timely manner, a complete disruption of operations is expected in October 2022”.

WFP has been present in Mozambique since 1977, working with the government to provide food, nutrition, and livelihood assistance to the most vulnerable communities.

Source: AIM