The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a UN agency, delivered 70 tons of seeds and $151,300 (approximately 9.6 million meticais) to 3,784 Mozambican families affected by the ‘La Niña’ climate phenomenon. The initiative aimed to help vulnerable communities recover from the impacts of floods and cyclones that hit the country.
According to a FAO statement cited by Lusa, the intervention took place between August 2024 and April of this year, aiming to reduce the negative effects of the climate phenomenon. The UN agency emphasized that the assistance helped “increase community resilience and strengthen food security.”
‘La Niña’ is characterized by the cooling of equatorial Pacific waters, which affects atmospheric circulation and global climate. This phenomenon causes periods of drought or heavy rainfall, with significant impacts on agricultural and coastal areas.
During the intervention period, FAO distributed 70 tons of seeds, 2.8 tons of fertilizer, and 1,739 watering cans to 3,898 families. Fourteen technicians were also trained in cyclone and flood preparedness measures, including four focused on emergency activation triggers in climate-related crises.
The agency also disseminated disaster risk awareness messages via community radio, directly reaching the target communities. Additionally, 3,784 families received unconditional cash transfers of $40 each (2,528 meticais), along with a mobile phone and a payment card.
Mozambique is one of the countries most affected by climate change, facing recurring floods and tropical cyclones between October and April. The country also experiences long periods of severe drought, increasing the vulnerability of rural populations.
The 2024 Mozambique Climate State Report, from the National Institute of Meteorology, revealed that the number of cyclones hitting the country has increased over the last decade, as has wind intensity. The government has approved a contingency plan for the 2025-26 rainy season, which could affect 1.2 million people, but it has less than half of the 14 billion meticais ($217.1 million) needed.
In September, authorities warned of “large-scale” floods and the possibility of flooding across approximately 4 million hectares of agricultural land. Between 2000 and 2023, Mozambique experienced over 75 extreme climate events, with economic losses exceeding $4.4 billion (275.8 billion meticais), placing the country among the ten most vulnerable in the world, according to official data.
