US provides $30 million to address food security

Maputo, 21 Jun (AIM) – The United States government, via the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has granted US$30 million to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to address food insecurity in communities affected by terrorism in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado and those affected by natural disasters in the central provinces of Sofala and Manica.

According to a press release from the US embassy, on 15 June the US ambassador, Dennis Hearne met with WFP Executive Director David Beasley “to discuss the US-WFP partnership in addressing the needs of the nearly 800,000 internally displaced people in Mozambique and their host communities”.

“The humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique is concerning,” said Hearne, cited in the release. “The U.S. Government remains committed to supporting the government of Mozambique and the Mozambican people to respond to this complex crisis. This includes assisting the many Mozambican families and communities that have been hosting their neighbours, displaced from their homes due to violence in Cabo Delgado.”

Beasley, the release added, said, “We are incredibly grateful for this generous contribution and the support of the United States here in Mozambique. Through WFP’s life-saving assistance for families affected by conflict, we are planting the seeds of peace”.

“But this is not enough,” Beasley continued. “We must work harder together to ensure the longer-term recovery and well-being of the people, helping them to move forward and giving them hope for a better future.”

WFP says it will use most of the $30 million in new funding to provide emergency food assistance to 116,500 of the Mozambicans displaced by the violence in Cabo Delgado, offer nutritional support to displaced children, and provide 7,600 refugees with food donations and food vouchers.

The funding will also cover critical logistics, coordination, and information management support for the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and provide emergency food assistance to more than 30,000 Mozambicans affected by natural disasters in Manica and Sofala.

USAID is also granting $5.5 million to Mozambique “to provide critical food and nutrition assistance, protection for women and children, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene services to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and water-borne diseases”, according to a USAID statement issued on Thursday.

This is part of a grant of over $91 million to 11 African countries “to address urgent humanitarian needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic”.
(AIM)