The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a US$40 million contribution from the United States of America that will provide critical assistance to some 790,000 people, as well as provision of humanitarian air services in Mozambique’s restive north.

The contribution, which has been provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), comes at a critical time, with some 3.15 million people facing high levels of food insecurity in the country, according to the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC). The funding will help WFP provide vital food and nutrition assistance to conflict- and disaster-affected people and some refugees from the Great Lakes region in Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa provinces, as well as keep flights running on behalf of the humanitarian community.

“We are grateful to the people of the United States who have extended a helping hand to the people of Mozambique,” says Antonella D’Aprile, WFP’s Country Director in Mozambique. “The assistance is not only helping the most vulnerable people to meet their immediate needs but contributes to bolstering much-needed resilience, fostering peace and strengthening stability within communities.” 

The United States donation will also enable WFP to continue providing air and logistics services for all humanitarian partners operating in Mozambique. The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is crucial for transporting humanitarian staff and essential cargo to non-commercially viable destinations in northern Mozambique. 

“With this significant contribution to the World Food Programme, the United States is partnering to improve food security in Mozambique,” says Peter Vrooman, Ambassador of the United States in Mozambique. “Food assistance for people displaced by conflict provides not just sustenance for their bodies, but a lifeline for their resilience and recovery.” 

The United States is the largest donor to WFP’s activities in Mozambique and has contributed US$289.1 million since 2017.