In August, humanitarian partners reached people affected by violence in Ancuabe that had displaced a total of 106,000 people in Cabo Delgado (approx. 83,000 people) and in Nampula (approx. 24,000 people). In Cabo Delgado, by the end of the month, some 44,000 people (53 per cent of the overall caseload) had received some form of assistance. Provincial authorities have requested humanitarian support to relocate displaced people staying in overcrowded sites in Pemba; so far 13,000 IDPs have been relocated from Pemba to Ancuabe and Metuge. An inter-agency humanitarian team visited Nanona resettlement site in Ancuabe on 22 August and identified as critical priorities the need to organise regular food distribution to IDPs and host communities, establish water sanitation and hygiene systems and strengthen protection monitoring.
Of particular concern are 12,000 IDPs in Erati and Memba, mainly children (56 per cent) and women (25 per cent) whose urgent needs are food, shelter and NFIs. Limited assistance, comprising shelter, non-food items and camp management services has reached the IDPs in Corrane site in Meconta district and Memba district in Nampula Province; US$4.9 million have been allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to scale-up the response to new displacement in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces.
Amid a fluid displacement situation IDP returns to areas of origin continued to northern districts of Muidumbe, Mocímboa da Praia, Palma and Quissanga where some 5,912 returns had been reported in the month of August. Since the beginning of the year, some 47,000 IDPs have returned to areas of origin. To ensure greater coherence of efforts in district of returns, humanitarian partners began district-level coordination in Mueda and Palma and expect to start in Macomia and Quissanga. Food distribution in Palma sede reached approximately 20,000 people.
Food assistance needs remain high and are likely to increase during the upcoming lean season (October-March). In August, the Famine Early Warning System Networks (FEWSNET) reported that in flood- and tropical storm-impacted areas in Nampula, and conflict-affected areas of Cabo Delgado, food security crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes persist as poor households have limited access to income for food purchases and are engaging in consumption and livelihood-based coping strategies such as selling assets, reducing expenses in health and education to minimize food consumption gaps. In Cabo Delgado, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are present in areas where humanitarian partners have access to IDPs and host communities, and where food distribution is consistent. FEWSNET warns that from October 2022 to January 2023, an increasing number of households will likely face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes as the lean season sets in.
A Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) covering the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa began in August. The MSNA will provide valuable information on critical needs, key drivers, highlighting gaps and priority areas of intervention for the humanitarian response in 2023. The MSNA is expected to be completed in September
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
