In its latest report on the region, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns of the risk of running out of money to help displaced persons from the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique.
“WFP plans to help 400,000 IDPs fleeing violence in Cabo Delgado in November, which would cost about US$7 million (5.9 million euros) per month. In the absence of sufficient funding, food supplies will be compromised, leading to a reduction or even suspension of food distribution to the needy,” WFP said.
The position of the UN agency is expressed in the October report on the situation in Mozambique, released last Friday.
According to the document, WFP supported fewer displaced people in northern Mozambique from September to October, although the number of families without food or shelter has not stopped increasing.
WFP reveals that it has supported some 152,000 displaced people in the last month, compared to 234,000 in September.
According to relief organizations and the Mozambican government, the number of displaced people will already be around 500,000.
The warning of underfunding has already been issued in recent months.
Antonella D’Aprile, WFP representative in Mozambique, said in September that food portions could be reduced from December if there is no additional funding.
In addition to the situation in Cabo Delgado, the least productive season in agriculture has begun, until the April harvest.
Until then, the entire Mozambican population is more vulnerable to food insecurity risks.
Considering the situation in the whole country, not just Cabo Delgado, WFP announced in the document that it has USD 98.7 million to support the entire population over the next six months, about 35% of the funds it considers necessary.
The pandemic does not help: ” Covid-19 is worsening the fragile humanitarian context in Mozambique,” it adds.
Lusa has sought clarification from WFP on the latest report, but has yet to receive a response.
The armed violence in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, is causing a humanitarian crisis with some 2,000 deaths and 500,000 displaced people, without housing or food, mainly concentrated in the provincial capital, Pemba.
The province where the largest private investment in Africa is being made for the exploitation of natural gas has been under attack by insurgents for three years and some of the incursions have been claimed by the ‘jihadist’ Islamic state group since 2019.
