The main agricultural season of 2023-2024 has been affected by the drought induced by the El Niño climate phenomenon in Mozambique. In the period between December last year and February 2024, there was a dry spell for 30 consecutive days, UN News reported on Monday 5 August .
According to the agency, an assessment made in partnership between the government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) indicates that the lost agricultural production is more than 720,000 tonnes. This is 19% of global production, or more than 3.8 million tonnes.
Food systems adapted to climate change
As part of the response to El Niño in Mozambique, the World Food Programme received a contribution of 3.3 million dollars from the Government of Norway.
The agency said that the donation should strengthen food systems adapted to climate change and the expansion of school feeding programmes in the provinces of Inhambane and Gaza, in the south of the country.
Early childhood education
The World Food Programme explained that the support is timely as it will allow the school feeding project to continue in the provinces affected by El Niño. “This continuity comes at a crucial time when both provinces are being affected by the El Niño phenomenon. Families often tend to resort to strategies of taking children out of school in order to get round the difficulties. So, through school feeding, we ensure that the children stay in school and continue their education,” the agency said.
Keeping children in school
For the UN agency, school feeding is a tool for keeping children in school and well nourished. The WFP, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Human Development, currently serves 54 schools in the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane.
This continuity comes at a crucial time when both provinces are being affected by the El Niño phenomenon.Families often tend to resort to strategies of taking children out of school in order to get round the difficulties.So, through school feeding, we ensure that the children stay in school and continue their education
The agency talks about the estimated scope of the school feeding programme in the provinces affected by El Niño. “Around 17,000 children will benefit from this assistance in Gaza, in the districts of Chigubo, Massagena, Massingir and Manjacaze and, in the province of Inhambane, in Govuro, Mabote and Panda. Half of these beneficiaries are girls, who will also benefit from a package of gender activities. In this way, we are training teachers from the district education services to carry out gender sensitisation activities in schools,” the agency explained.
