The World Food Programme (WFP) said it assisted more than 600,000 people in Mozambique in October and November, scaling up emergency food and cash aid as violence and displacement intensified in the country’s north.
In a report consulted by Lusa on Monday, the UN agency said it distributed 2,365 tonnes of food and about US$2.3 million in cash assistance over the two-month period, responding to growing humanitarian needs driven by conflict and insecurity.
“The WFP reached more than 600,000 people in Mozambique, distributing 2,365 tonnes of food and US$2.3 million through cash transfers,” the agency said.
The bulk of the response focused on northern Mozambique, where an Islamist insurgency that began in Cabo Delgado province eight years ago has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted livelihoods. Attacks have recently spread into neighbouring Nampula province, triggering fresh waves of displacement and compounding an already fragile humanitarian situation.
“In response to the new displacement in Nampula, the WFP also provided emergency food assistance to 10,220 people under the Joint Response Programme with UN partners,” the agency said, adding that preparations were under way to assist additional displaced communities.
In Cabo Delgado, the epicentre of the conflict, WFP said it completed its November–December food assistance cycle on Dec. 18, reaching 87,328 households, or around 436,640 people.
The agency said it worked with local authorities and partners in conflict-affected districts to combine food assistance with measures aimed at restoring livelihoods and building resilience.
“In areas such as Mocímboa da Praia, district authorities coordinated with WFP and partners to align seed distribution and training in conservation agriculture,” the report said. In Ancuabe and Macomia districts, WFP supported seed distribution, farmer training and nature-based solutions to strengthen food security and resilience.
Beyond food aid, WFP said it continued to provide emergency nutrition support, working with the government through the National Nutritional Rehabilitation Programme to combat acute malnutrition among vulnerable groups.
More than 8,300 children under five, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women in Cabo Delgado and Nampula, received nutrition assistance during the reporting period, the agency said.
The WFP also supported government-led efforts to improve food security, climate resilience and livelihoods in several provinces. In Nampula, the agency provided technical assistance to strengthen government leadership through training programmes on Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA), which help farmers adapt to climate variability.
In the area of protection, WFP backed Mozambique’s participation in the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, promoting gender equality and community awareness.
The agency said progress was also made in boosting community climate resilience and expanding financial inclusion for women and young people.
“In November, more than 14,000 farmers received weather forecasts, 1,700 were trained, around 300 families received seeds, 500 farmers benefited from refrigerated storage and 200 food processing kits were delivered,” WFP said. Women accounted for 45 percent of beneficiaries.
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Education support remained another pillar of WFP’s response. The agency said it supported school feeding programmes in the provinces of Tete, Nampula and Cabo Delgado, reaching about 95,000 students.
The initiative aims to improve school attendance and retention, particularly in drought- and conflict-affected areas, and to prevent children from dropping out during crises.
In Sofala province, WFP distributed 14,000 tonnes of food to parents and guardians of children enrolled in an emergency school feeding programme in Caia district, concluding its response to drought linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Despite the scale-up, WFP warned that funding gaps remain severe. The agency said it requires about $105 million in additional funding to sustain humanitarian assistance in Mozambique through May 26, 2026.
Mozambique remains one of southern Africa’s most complex humanitarian emergencies, where conflict, climate shocks and chronic poverty continue to overlap, stretching the capacity of aid agencies and the government alike.
