The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that by March this year, 212,600 people affected by the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, had received assistance, adding that the activities were carried out under the humanitarian response plan, covering 80% of the projected target.
In its latest report, cited by Lusa, the United Nations agency stated that Mozambique continues to face a multidimensional humanitarian crisis driven by climate shocks, conflict, and socioeconomic vulnerability.
“WFP continues to provide regular food assistance in Cabo Delgado while also supporting newly displaced families with one-off emergency kit distributions when needed. Resource constraints temporarily reduced the coverage of regular assistance to 265,000 people in March, compared to the usual 425,000, underscoring the urgent need for sustained funding to prevent further deterioration of the situation,” the agency said.
According to the WFP, the regular cycle of humanitarian aid distribution in the northern Mozambican province — rich in natural gas and targeted by extremist attacks for the past eight years — was finalised in early April due to poor road conditions caused by seasonal rains and persistent insecurity, which limited access to some communities.
During the same period, the WFP said it supported the nutritional response for displaced people and those affected by “ongoing climate shocks” by strengthening the treatment of acute malnutrition in emergency settings, distributing 118.8 tonnes of nutritious food to 112 health units in the province.
At the same time, around 1.3 million people in the provinces of Gaza and Sofala received early warning messages as part of preparedness and risk mitigation actions linked to flooding.
On the logistics front, the WFP also ensured the transportation of 739 passengers and 64.1 tonnes of humanitarian cargo, supporting emergency response operations in various affected regions across Mozambique.
The WFP’s nutritional support was also expanded to Sofala Province, in central Mozambique, one of the regions affected by recent heavy rains across the country, through the distribution of seeds to 230 families and support for 19 poultry farms.
The intervention also included community awareness campaigns, reaching 794 people, aimed at protecting diets, livelihoods, and recovery pathways for affected populations.
The report further stated that the agency distributed a total of 3,263 metric tonnes of food and carried out cash transfers worth $214,000 as part of responses to food insecurity caused by climate shocks and armed conflict.
Despite the assistance, the WFP warned that funding needs remain high, with an estimated $134 million required to sustain humanitarian operations in Mozambique over the next six months.
