WFP Mozambique Country Brief, December 2016
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Mozambique is now entering the peak of the lean season, the period leading up to the next harvest in March/April.
WFP has scaled up its ongoing El Niño drought response. In December, WFP reached a total 629,612 people, while working to enhance the resilience to climate shocks in the longer term.
WFP is currently developing its new Country Strategic Plan for the period 2017-2021. The new strategy aims to support the Government in the implementation of Agenda 2030 and, in particular, in moving towards the achievement of SDG2.
Operational Updates
Mozambique is now entering the peak of the lean season. The period leading up to the next harvest in March/April marks the height of the lean season. Some 1.4 million Mozambicans are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance as a result of El Niño-related drought. The number is expected to increase to 2 million when the lean season reaches its peak.
El Niño Drought Response Activities:
WFP has scaled up its ongoing drought response. WFP provide assistance of various kinds - food for people building and restoring community assets, emergency school meals and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition among children, and pregnant and nursing women. Through these combined programmes, WFP aims to reach 700,000 people in the January distribution cycle.
WFP has gradually increased the number of people receiving assistance since the start of the emergency response. In December, WFP reached a total 629,612 people in 33 districts across seven worst affected provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Tete, Manica, Sofala and Zambezia with cereals and pulses. Of this, 6,847 pregnant and nursing women received nutrition support.
Meanwhile, the set-up phase for the scale-up of the nutrition response is underway. WFP plans to increase nutritional support to reach more people including malnourished children under five years of age, and pregnant and nursing women in the worst-affected provinces - Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Nampula, Tete, Sofala and Zambezia. WFP assistance will consist of treatment of 44,000 children aged 6-59 months and 19,000 pregnant and nursing women with signs of moderate acute malnutrition.
WFP did not provide emergency school meals during the course of December due to the school holiday. Nonetheless, children received take home rations in November to help them cope over the month long holiday. Activities will re-commence on 20 January after the resumption of the academic year.
In an effort to further enhance field presence and to support activities better, in December, WFP established an office in Zambezia and additional offices are being opened in Nampula and Cabo Delgado.