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Japan helps WFP to provide vital assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people in Mozambique

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Maputo – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of JPY 200 million (USD 1.87 million) from the Government of Japan to provide food assistance and livelihoods support to refugees and asylum-seekers living in Maratane Refugee Camp (Nampula Province) and internally displaced people (IDPs) in Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique.

This generous support from Japan will enable WFP to support 9,500 refugees and asylum seekers in Maratane Refugee Camp (Nampula) with i food assistance, and strengthen income generating opportunities through a livelihoods project in close collaboration with the Government of Mozambique and other UN agencies.

WFP believes that local integration and self-reliance are an opportunity for improving living conditions of refugees in Maratane camp, given that Refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities are reliant on WFP food assistance .

The agreement was signed by WFP Country Director in Mozambique, Ms. Antonella D’Aprile, and the Ambassador of Japan to Mozambique, his Excellency, KIMURA Hajime during an official ceremony held in Maputo on 23 September 2020.

“The impact of COVID-19 in Mozambique has caused deep economic challenges. Adding to this, Mozambique faces further challenges such as: the deteriorating security situation in Cabo Delgado, food insecurity and consecutive natural disasters. The Government of Japan thought that it should do something to alleviate these difficulties, as one of the closest friends of Mozambique”, ”, said H.E the Ambassador of Japan, Mr KIMURA Hajime. “And so, the Government of Japan decided to cooperate with WFP to alleviate the extremely severe and fragile food insecurity problems as well as to support livelihoods of refugees and asylum-seekers. We will continue to support the fight of Mozambique against the pandemic as well as insecurity. Japan is always on your side.”

“We thank the people and the Government of Japan for their continued support and assistance to Mozambique. This contribution enables us to continue supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Maratane camp through in-kind food assistance and capacity strengthening towards self-reliance and integration”, said WFP Mozambique Representative, Ms. Antonella D’Aprile. “In fact, to avoid jeopardizing the transition to self-reliance, ensuring the food security of the refugee population is imperative. Additionally, this contribution enables us to strengthen our emergency response to increasing numbers of IDPs in the country.”

Maratane camp was established in 2001 and is considered the only refugee camp in Mozambique, hosting 9,500 Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Additionally, the camp area accounts for 16,390 people from the host community. These communities are directly relying on the camp for services – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Health, Education and other Social Services provided by the Government of Mozambique and UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency. In light of the unfolding outbreak of COVID-19, in collaboration with other UN agencies, international non-governmental organizations, and Government partners, WFP also contributed to the establishment of COVID-19 preventive measures in the camp.

Since October 2016, in collaboration with National Institute for Refugees Support (INAR) and other UN Agencies, such as UNHCR, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), WFP has been implementing a livelihoods programme with the objective of enhancing the self-reliance of refugees, asylum seekers and host communities - through the implementation of activities that enable refugees to produce eggs, groom poultry, handcraft, establish saving and loans informal groups, and produce horticulture and other crops for their self-sustainability. The assistance also creates links to wage employments in Nampula, as well as supports self-employment endeavors by the refugees.

The Government of Japan has been funding food assistance for developing countries since 1968 and is a long-standing partner of WFP in Mozambique. Japan’s latest contribution to WFP humanitarian assistance came in May 2019, when it contributed with US$ 6.9 million for the provision of food assistance to cyclone- and flood-affected people in Mozambique that saw their livelihoods wiped out by Tropical Cyclone Idai, which made landfall north of Beira, Sofala province, on 14 March 2019.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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Contact

For more information please contact:

Milton Machel, WFP/Maputo,
milton.machel@wfp.org

Yuri Arabadgi de Andrade, WFP/Maputo,
yuri.andrade@wfp.org

KIHARA Hirokazu, Embassy of Japan/Maputo,
hirokazu.kihara@mofa.go.jp

AOKI Shogo, Embassy of Japan/Maputo,
shogo.aoki@mofa.go.jp