Japan announces 1.5 million for humanitarian support in Cabo Delgado – Observador

The Japanese Government has made available around 1.7 million dollars (1.5 million euros) for humanitarian aid to those affected by the insurgency and bad weather in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, the Japanese embassy announced this Thursday.

“The project is expected to [de financiamento] benefit 16,750 vulnerable people who fled armed violence in the province”, especially in the districts of Quissanga, Mocímboa da Praia and Palma, among the hardest hit by the rebel incursions that have ravaged that northern province of Mozambique since 2017, said Keiji Hamada, ambassador of the Japan, during the launching ceremony of the livelihood support project for returnees in the province of Cabo Delgado.

Japan’s support aims to ensure people have new agriculture-based livelihoods and improve food and nutrition security and will be implemented by three United Nations agenciesnamely the International Organization for Migration (OIM), a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) yes United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Japan’s support makes it possible to directly address the urgent needs of returnees in Cabo Delgado, with the aim of rebuilding and improving agriculture-based livelihoods, with a focus on crop and fisheries production, improving the food and nutritional security of these communities, especially among women and children”, highlighted the diplomat.

For the FAO representative in Mozambique, José Fernandez, Cabo Delgado faces “complex challenges”, both from conflicts and climate events, so Japan’s support will “help rebuild and improve livelihoods, focusing on food and nutritional security of these communities in a sustainable way”.

“IOM embarks on this project that aims to support people in order to strengthen their resilience and promote lasting solutionspeace for returnees and host communities in conflict areas”, added IOM Head of Mission, Laura Tomm-Bonde.

The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency for six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State. After a slight calm in 2023, these attacks have multiplied in recent weeks, creating around 100,000 displaced people in February alone, in addition to a trail of destruction, death and lost families.

This insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021, with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts close to gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region.

Since 2017, the conflict has displaced more than a million people, according to United Nations agencies, and around four thousand deaths, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.