The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) supported 5,640 families affected by armed conflict and climate shocks in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Niassa over the course of one year. The assistance was delivered between March 2025 and March 2026, backed by approximately one million US dollars in funding provided by the Japanese government.
According to a FAO report, the project was implemented in the districts of Mecúfi and Mueda in Cabo Delgado, and Cuamba, Marrupa, and Mecanhelas in Niassa. The initiative aimed to mitigate the impacts of conflict and climate shocks on the most vulnerable communities by restoring agricultural livelihoods and strengthening food security and resilience.
FAO states that the project directly benefited 5,640 households, of which 3,063 were headed by women. Under the initiative, more than 103 tonnes of food crop seeds, 132 kilograms of vegetable seeds, post-harvest preservation pesticides, hoes, watering cans, and storage bags were distributed to 5,500 families to support agricultural production.
The agency also established 28 demonstration fields and trained 1,710 farmers — including 950 women — in climate-resilient agricultural practices. In addition, 280 goats were distributed to 140 households, six motorised water pumps were provided to farmer associations for dry-season production, and vaccine conservation equipment was delivered to provincial Agriculture and Fisheries authorities.
The programme also included training for 703 people in the prevention and control of Newcastle disease, a highly contagious viral infection affecting poultry, and supported the vaccination of thousands of animals. According to FAO, these interventions enabled the resumption of agricultural activity and reduced poultry mortality caused by the disease from 85% to 4%.
FAO regards the project as having strengthened food security, improved farmers' capacity to respond to climate shocks, and reinforced local seed production and multiplication systems, thereby increasing the resilience of beneficiary communities.
Since October 2017, the natural gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has faced an armed insurgency, with attacks claimed by groups affiliated with the Islamic State. According to international organisations, the conflict has claimed more than 6,600 lives.
Mozambique's most recent rainy season, running from October 2025 to April 2026, caused 314 deaths, affected more than one million people, and damaged nearly 260,000 homes, according to data previously released by the National Disaster Risk Management and Reduction Institute (INGD).
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/06/desenvolvimento-2/fao-apoia-mais-de-5600-familias-afectadas-por-conflitos-e-choques-climaticos-no-norte-do-pais/
