The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it needs funding of more than 170 million dollars to implement its plan to support people affected by drought and food insecurity in Mozambique, pointing out that until July it only had 16 million dollars.
The United Nations agency revealed that the money will be used to assist more than 300,000 people, guaranteeing the provision of school meals, nutrition activities to increase the immunity of pregnant women and means of subsistence in the face of severe drought.
Data released by the organisation in a report indicates that 1.8 million people need help in seven Mozambican provinces, and that the percentage of the population at risk of food insecurity has risen to 33% due to the drought.
According to the organisation, the situation is caused by the ‘El Niño’ climate phenomenon, which is affecting several countries on the African continent, and in the case of Mozambique in particular, the number of people at risk of food insecurity has increased fourfold since 2023.
‘We find that part of the population has limited access to food and water, as well as vulnerable groups who are subject to protection risks and therefore tend to choose to rely on negative and harmful alternatives for survival, including risks of exploitation and sexual abuse,’ the report said.
According to the WFP, El Niño is affecting the price of basic foodstuffs, pushing thousands of people into a situation of vulnerability. Overall, maize grain prices in June 2024 were 40 per cent higher than last year, and 55 per cent higher than the five-year average.
‘We find that part of the population has limited access to food and water, and there are vulnerable groups who are subject to protection risks and therefore tend to choose to rely on negative and harmful alternatives for survival, including risks of exploitation and sexual abuse’
The organisation pointed out in the document that ‘above-average prices, combined with the failure of agricultural production and limited income opportunities, are eroding the purchasing power of poor and very poor families, leading to consumption deficits and hunger’.
‘The ‘El Niño’ phenomenon caused a shortage of rainfall and above-average temperatures, leading to drought conditions in central and southern Mozambique last year. It is predicted that 3.3 million people will face food insecurity in the period from October 2024 to March 2025,’ he said.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs from October to April.
