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Current Requirements (US$)$413.4 million
Crisis overview and projections
In 2023, the humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique was marked by the steady return of IDPs to their home districts. People return for various reasons including an improved security situation, the desire to reunite with families and secure land, cultivation of crops as well as an improvement in living conditions. By August, the number of returnees stood at more than 570,000 people, while the number of IDPs stood at approximately 670,000 people. People have returned to the area of origin in northeastern Cabo Delgado while the bulk of IDPs remain concentrated in the districts of Pemba, Metuge and Mueda. Over half of those who are displaced live in host communities, including 160,000 in Pemba, others are in displacement sites. IDPs have endured violence and multiple waves of displacement over the last years and continue to rely on humanitarian assistance for survival, the majority do not have land tenure security. Communities hosting IDPs often face similar vulnerabilities and need humanitarian assistance.
Mozambique
Gisela, 9, Isabela, 6, and Eduardo, 9, pump water from a well next to the health centre where their families are receiving materials, from UNICEF, to treat water and prevent cholera following Cyclone Freddy.
UNICEF/Alfredo ZunigaThe climate crisis remains a key driver of vulnerability, as Mozambique is among the top three countries in Africa most exposed to extreme climate shocks. In 2023, Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, hit Mozambique twice bringing with it destructive wind and extreme rainfall, affecting more than one million people. The forecast for the 2023/2024 rainy season is below-average rainfall in southern and central Mozambique due to the effects of El Nino, which could potentially delay the start of the rainy season. Average to above-average rainfall is expected in northern Mozambique. Projections estimate that from October 2023 to March 2024, about 3.1 million people in Mozambique will be in IPC 3 and 220,000 people in IPC 4. According to the Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, 1.8 million people are projected to be at risk of cyclones, floods and drought in the 2023/2024 rainy/cyclonic season.
A total of 2,250,000 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. This includes 1,700,000 people in need as a result of conflict and 554,000 people are at risk of natural hazards in the rainy/cyclonic season that runs from October to April.
Namitangurini, Nicoadala, Zambezia, Mozambique
This resettled community was affected last year by Cyclone Gombe and has once again been affected by Cyclone Freddy. The UN ensuring the continuity and accessibility of basic health services and responding to gender-based violence, with a particular focus on women.
WFP/ Denise CollettaResponse priorities in 2024
In 2023, 1.5 million people were reached with some form of assistance. Of these, 1.3 million people were reached with food assistance. Declining funding levels meant that the food ration was halved to continue to meet the needs of people. Some 544,000 people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene services and 245,000 people benefitted from protection services. Funding shortfalls have, however, made it difficult to provide second line response. In 2024 there will be limited ability to provide a multisectoral package of assistance to IDPs. The rapid response mechanism approach enabled the provision of immediate assistance including food, shelter and WASH to returnees; funding shortfalls have, however, made it difficult to provide second line response. In response to the crisis brought by the compounding effects of Cyclone Freddy, floods and cholera, humanitarian organization assisted 855,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene services and 500,000 people with food assistance.
In 2024, a total of 1.7 million people are targeted including 1.3 million people in conflict affected areas and another 429,623 for support in terms of early action and anticipatory action to mitigate against disaster across the country.
Conflict related response will geographically focus on meeting the most severe needs. This will include areas experiencing the highest number of returns, people who are landless or face the threat of eviction and areas that have seen the most significant infrastructure damage.
Expanding efforts to promote localization
In 2023, the humanitarian community in Mozambique redoubled efforts to promote localization. For example, 35 per cent of the CERF funds recently allocated to Mozambique reached NNGOs, in an effort to ensure a greater humanitarian footprint and reach affected communities. The efforts initiated in 2023 will be further expanded in 2024, including through (i) equitable partnerships; (ii) capacity strengthening; (iii) more inclusion and participation in key coordination and decision-making fora; (iv) greater funding opportunities.