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Mozambique is a low-income, food-deficit country with a large rural population of20 million.It ranked183 of 191 countriesin the 2023 Human Development Index. HIV is the primary cause of death.

A vast majority of Mozambicans are too poor to afford a nutritious diet, andmalnutrition remains a major underlying cause of child mortality in children under five.

Mozambique is also one of the most disaster-prone countries in the worldandone of the most vulnerable to extreme climate eventssuch as droughts, floods and cyclones. These, coupled with annual lean seasons and economic shocks, regularly threaten food security.

El Niño-induced drought –one of the most intense in Mozambique’s recent history– has devastated crops, resulting in poor harvests and soaring food prices.

Ongoing conflict is driving hunger in Cabo Delgado and in its neighbouring provinces, Niassa and Nampul,which are both hosting internally displaced people in need of urgent lifesaving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance.

From April to September 2024,2.79 millionpeople experienced Acute Food Insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), as per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment (July 2024). The projected acute food insecurity situation is even worse between October 2024 and March 2025, with numbers raising up to 3.2 million people in IPC Phase 3 or above.

The World Food Programme (WFP) supports the Government,with a focus on improving food and nutrition security as well as strengthening the resilience of individuals and communities in the face of multiple shocks.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Mozambique

Emergency response
WFP provides food assistance, livelihood activities – including providing seeds and agricultural kits – nutrition support and school meals. To ensure that food assistance reaches those most in need, WFP has launched vulnerability-based targeting in Cabo Delgado, to assist 480,000 vulnerable individuals affected by conflict.
Nutrition and HIV
WFP’s approach includes fresh-food vouchers and nutrition-smart agriculture. WFP provides life-saving assistance in shock affected-areas, focusing on children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls.
Climate resilience
WFP focuses on natural-resource management, sustainable agriculture, climate services, financial inclusion and disaster risk financing, to enhance community resilience and sustainable development.
Disaster risk management and social protection
In 2023, the Government activated anticipatory actions supported by WFP, in response to El Niño-induced drought, assisting over 270,000 people with early-warning messages, agricultural asset creation and cash-based transfers. WFP uses innovative technology to conduct assessments and enable anticipatory humanitarian action and disaster response. WFP works with the Government to enhance the shock-responsiveness of the national social protection system.
School meals
WFP supports the National School Feeding Programme, by providing hot meals to students using locally sourced food. The programme expanded in 2022, with WFP's support, and the Government took over food procurement for 340 schools and reached 240,000 students. WFP also provides nutrition education, gender-sensitive training, school gardens and infrastructure development in an additional 141 schools.
United Nations Humanitarian Air Service
The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), managed by WFP, provides a safe, effective and efficient air transport service for humanitarian workers. It enables the delivery of life-saving assistance in hard-to-reach locations in northern Mozambique, to support people in areas where there are no other means of transportation due to insecurity and inaccessible roads. UNHAS is especially crucial during the cyclone season.

Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Mozambique is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:

Contacts

Office

Rua 1109, perpendicular a Av. Paulo Samuel Kankhomba, Malhangalene A, KaMpfumo, Maputo
Mozambique

Phone
+258 21482200;+258 857110648
For media inquiries