Skip to main content

Mozambique | Sofala Province | Protection Cluster Overview (November 2019)

Countries
Mozambique
Sources
Protection Cluster
+ 1 more
Publication date

COORDINATION

UNHCR co-leads the Sofala Province Protection Cluster with the Provincial Directorate for Gender, Children and Social Affairs (DPGCAS). The Protection Cluster encompasses a Child Protection Sub-Cluster (led by DPGCAS and UNICEF) and a GBV Sub-Cluster (led by UNFPA). The Disability Working Group (led by FAMOD) is an active member of the Protection Cluster.

KEY PROTECTION CONCERNS

  1. Insufficient availability of basic facilities in resettlement sites and precarious shelter conditions, especially in hard-to-reach areas, increasing risks particularly for children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

  2. Lack of or insufficient community structures to enable effective community participation and support community engagement in their own protection, safety and security.

  3. Lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities in resettlement sites, especially for persons formerly living in cities, which can lead to family separation.

  4. Challenges concerning access to education due to the limited capacity of schools to absorb additional children; distance from schools; lack of materials; and lack of documentation, leading to risks such as child labour, family separation or early marriage.

  5. People with disabilities disproportionately affected, especially persons with mobility restrictions.

  6. Destruction, unavailability or loss of civil documentation, leading to challenges in accessing basic services, such as education and housing, land and property (HLP) rights.

  7. Challenges related to women’s access to HLP documentation.

  8. Risks of tensions with host communities over aid distribution, service accessibility and pre-existing livelihood activities in resettlement sites.

GAPS AND CONSTRAINS

• Lack of resources to ensuring basic support and facilities for displaced populations in resettlement sites, contributing to heightened protection risks for affected populations, particularly the most vulnerable.

• Significant underfunding, limiting expansion of protection monitoring and other services, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

• Structural challenges and Inadequate resources from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Affairs (MGCAS) to scale-up service response for the most vulnerable groups.

• Unavailability of sufficient resources to provide sustainable solutions as response moves towards the recovery phase.