The majority of the 25 000 internally displaced people who received seed from the ICRC in October 2022 planted them in their fields. The farmers plan to use harvested seeds to guarantee their livelihoods for the 2022/2023 agricultural season.
According to the communities, most of them residing in resettlement centers in Montepuez, they planted the seeds provided by the ICRC, with 93.3% planting Maize seeds, 90.8% planting bean seeds and 49.3% planting kale.
Marcelina fled from her village in 2020 with her family, her husband and her three children, and today lives in a centre for the displaced in Montepuez. "When we fled, we sheltered at a relative's house and we were very hungry", she said.
About 90% of displaced people in areas with limited livehood alternatives agree that the assistance is important to their sustenance, leading them to improve their ability to produce their own food.
To help improve agricultural production in the district of Montepuez, the ICRC distributed agricultural kits composed of seeds (maize, cowpeas, and kale) and tools (hoes) to 5,000 families (totaling some 25,000 people) from eight internally displaced centres.
"The ICRC has received technical guidance regarding the suitability of these seeds from the ministry of agriculture confirming that they are adapted to Montepuez's agroecological zone," said the head of the Pemba sub-delegation, Valentina Torricelli.
The displacement of people affected by the armed conflict, the inaccessibility of farming areas, lack of regular rains, the challenge of restarting life and other effects of the conflict have created food insecurity for affected people, leaving them unable to cope.
In addition, the ICRC, together with the Mozambique Red Cross (CVM), distributed 1,800 fishing kits in Ibo district to 1,000 women for octopus fishing and 800 men for offshore fishing, in support of their livelihoods. Many people fled to the four islands of Ibo district from the coastal areas, where the main means of survival is fishing.
"When I arrived, together with my three children and my husband, we had nothing to eat. Fishing was the only way to survive, but we didn't have nets or other means. Now I will be able do something for my family," said 54-year-old Seleman.
Helping displaced people recover their livelihoods and self-sufficiency, as well as promoting resilience, is an ICRC humanitarian priority in Cabo Delgado.
