Mozambique

Mozambique is a low-income, food-deficit country with a large rural population of 20 million. It ranked 183 of 191 countries in 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, and malnutrition remains a major underlying cause of child mortality in children under 5.

Mozambique is also one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and one of the most vulnerable to extreme climate events such 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 million people 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.