The executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, stressed on Tuesday 30 January that there has been “fruitful cooperation” with Mozambique, which has reached significant levels over the last four decades, encouraging continued support for the country in the face of the challenges posed by natural disasters.
“We are celebrating our 44-year long co-operation with the Republic of Mozambique and we are proud of the support we have provided, not only in terms of humanitarian assistance, but also in building resilience in the population,” she said.
Speaking to the media in Rome, moments after a meeting with head of state Filipe Nyusi, Cindy McCain expressed her intention to continue supporting the country, especially in the climate field, since it has been one of the worst affected by natural phenomena due to its geographical location.
“We have been working intensively, especially on forecasting, so that we can know where certain phenomena will have the greatest impact, in order to put all the means at the disposal of the communities,” she revealed.
For the current 2023-24 rainy season, the Mozambican meteorological services have warned that the country should prepare for periods of drought in the centre and south, along with above-normal rainfall in the north with the formation of the natural phenomenon El Niño.
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.
The 2018-19 rainy season was one of the most severe on record in Mozambique: 714 people died, including 648 victims of cyclones Idai and Kenneth, two of the biggest ever to hit the country.
