Introduction
In Mozambique, nearly 2 million people are currently facing severe food insecurity due to the security situation, the drought, and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.
The fragile humanitarian situation in Mozambique’s Northern Province of Cabo Delgado continues to deteriorate. An escalation of violence has internally displaced more than 700,000 people.
At least 1.5 million people are estimated to require immediate humanitarian assistance and protection in Cabo Delgado and in neighbouring province of Niassa and Nampula.
What are the needs?
Mozambique faces multiple shocks, including conflict in Cabo Delgado, frequent natural hazards, disease outbreaks, and the current impact of COVID-19.
The armed conflict in Cabo Delgado escalated in 2020, with a significant increase in the number and scope of attacks of armed groups and the subsequent humanitarian impact.
Needs are overwhelming in the country:
about 1.5 million people require protection, food assistance, nutrition services, health, education, water and sanitation, and shelter
nearly 2 million people are acutely food insecure, out of which 1.23 million in Cabo Delgado and neighbouring provinces of Niassa and Nampula.
The increase in food insecurity is attributed to several factors, including the security situation and armed conflict, drought, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Extreme weather events including floods, cyclones and droughts occur regularly, with their frequency and intensity increasing due to climate change. The country is still recovering from powerful cyclones Idai and Kenneth.
The population is highly vulnerable to smaller- scale but frequent hazards. Tens of thousands of people remain internally displaced due to floods and cyclones, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More recently, tropical storm Ana hit central Mozambique in January 2022.
How are we helping?
The emergency response in the northern part of Mozambique became a humanitarian priority in 2021. In 2022, the EU is also maintaining its support towards enhancing disaster preparedness in the country.
Preparedness and prompt action can reduce the impact of natural hazards and help save lives and properties. To this end, the EU supports actions helping communities and authorities prepare for and respond to disasters.
As last year, the EU is assisting the conflict-affected population in the northern part of the country in 2022. This includes the internally displaced people and their host communities, with protection as an overarching element; shelter; non-food items; water and sanitation; and education in emergencies.
Several EU-funded projects use technology and innovative approaches. For example, they use drones — in the Idai response in Mozambique and Malawi – to map high-risk areas, or mobile text messages to warn communities of impending dangers, and allowing communities to provide information to the disaster management authorities.
The EU also supports disaster preparedness actions in schools through safe learning facilities, training of teachers in early warning and teaching children how to stay safe. Building on lessons learned during the 2019 floods, the European Commission also worked on strategic emergency stock prepositioning, to facilitate and speed up the response to natural hazards.
Last year, we complemented our humanitarian assistance with 3 EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights in June and July 2021. The flights transported 20 tonnes of humanitarian cargo such as personal protection and medical equipment, hygiene kits, medical ventilators, supplementary food and water and sanitation equipment.
In addition, the European Commission is providing €100 million in humanitarian assistance to support the rollout of vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 in countries in Africa with critical humanitarian needs and fragile health systems. We allocated at least €8 million out of this funding to the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region in 2021 – of which €2.5 million supports the rollout of vaccination campaigns in Mozambique.
Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations