Mozambique: Food Crisis Escalates in Mozambique Conflict Zones
MORE than 50 000 people affected by the latest deadly violence in northern Mozambique need food assistance.
Struggling
financially, the World Food Programme (WFP) has nonetheless intervened following
the conflict in Palma, a town in the troubled Cabo Delgado region.
"It's a real humanitarian catastrophe.
People are heading all over the place - by boat, on foot, by road,"
lamented Lola Castro, WFP's Southern Africa director.
"The situation is very bad. It's
affecting Cabo Delgado's neighbouring provinces. We don't have enough resources
to support the scale-up that is needed."
The
conflict has hammered northern Mozambique since 2017, when non-state armed
groups attacked police stations in the town of Mocimboa da Praia.
Throughout
2019, as the country reeled from the devastating impact of two cyclones, it has
continued - throughout 2020 the violence escalated while the number of
displaced people multiplied.
At
the start of 2020, there were 18 000 people displaced. By December there were
500 000 people displaced.
In
February 2021, that figure reached nearly 670 000 people, around 80 000 of whom
are currently inaccessible because of the violence.
WFP requires US$10,5 million on a monthly basis to provide assistance and $98 million is required to provide support for the next 12 months.
