Beira — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Cabinet of Reconstruction Post-Cyclones (GREPOC) and seventeen civil society organizations will implement economic recovery activities to support 53,143 families affected by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique; 37,503 of them in the Sofala Province.

The planned interventions in Sofala were presented this week during meetings with district-level authorities and will disburse US$3.1 million within the scope of the Mozambique Recovery Facility (MRF), program with lead implementation of UNDP and financial support from the European Union, Canada, China, Finland, India, Norway and the Netherlands.

“The Recovery Facility will have interventions in Mozambique for 5 years, but the activities presented in this week’s meetings will be delivered in the field still in 2020 aiming to accelerate the resilient recovery of the most affected families", explained Mr. Ghulam Sherani, coordinator of the Recovery Facility in UNDP Mozambique.

"People affected by cyclones may be displaced in resettlement sites or be part of host communities which are being identified with support from local governments. Many of these groups live in a vulnerable situation and currently feel the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis”, Ghulam Sherani.

With the objective of recovering livelihoods and economic empowerment in vulnerable communities identified, the planned activities have as central axis community-led actions and people-centered solutions. “In this stage of the program, UNDP has come to our District specially to support on the economic recovery of families who will choose their preferred area to rehabilitate their earnings”, emphasized the permanent secretary of Beira District, Mr. Ferderico Meque.

The Programme supports the most affected people for long-term change. Thus, some of the activities will be the formation of savings and microcredit groups, the provision of start-up kits for new small businesses and skill trainings for beneficiaries. Labor-intensive works will also be provided within the scope of the Program in order to rehabilitate social infrastructures with the active participation and engagement of community residents so that they are better prepared for future disasters. “With support of governments the beneficiaries will be identified and will include women-headed households, elderlies, people with disabilities and orphan young people. Based on their preferred economic areas we assist them with those income-generation activities”, reported Ravy Serra, livelihood specialist in UNDP Mozambique.

Ms. Claudina Bebane, deputy director of GREPOC, flagged some challenges of the implementation in which very specific activities will be deployed and must evolve sustainably. “This is a big program; thus, the results must be visible through a very integrated and joint monitoring”. During the sessions other authorities also called for coordination between the many actors. “We hope everyone is open to understand the philosophy behind the projects and to build close relationships with the organizations involved since the very beginning of activities. it is key to bear in mind the indicators, the genesis of this project while activities are very specific for the recovery post-Idai and beneficiaries should be the most vulnerable ones”, Mr. Tomé José, administrator of Nhamatanda District.

The administrator of Dondo District, Mr. José Mutoroma, expressed his expectation to increase construction interventions in communities and highlighted the importance of organizations who work in the field to also support on that. "We hope families are well assisted to have better quality of life. The organizations are welcome to continue working with us and bringing the usual strength to the districts”.

Activities will also be implemented in the districts of Buzi and Chibabava counting on the regular monitoring from district-level technical staff. “We are happy to know of new activities and we do not want to be mere spectators. We will advance together”, stated Mr. Luís Nhanzozo, administrator of Chibabava.

Sherani highlighted that two other components of the Mozambique Recovery Facility refer to the construction and rehabilitation of community houses and public buildings (Pillar 2), and the institutional strengthening of GREPOC (Pillar3). “Activities under those pillars are being developed and implemented in parallel. 471 houses will be constructed in 2020 and other 600 will be rehabilitated this year in Sofala”.

In Cabo Delgado Province, region most affected by Cyclone Kenneth, UNDP has also initiated interventions in July aiming at recovering the livelihoods and economic economy of 15,640 affected families living in resettlement sites or host communities. As a result, there will be a total of 53,143 families supported in Cabo Delgado and Sofala in 2020, with US$4.3 million of financial support.

For more information:

UNDP Mozambique; Brenda Hada, communications officer; brenda.hada@undp.org.