The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has granted 30 million dollars to the World Food Program (WFP) to fight food insecurity in the areas affected by violence in Cabo Delgado.

A note from the US Embassy in Maputo says that part of the amount will be used in the regions of Sofala and Manica devastated by natural disasters.

The donation is announced, on Monday, 21, when humanitarian organizations lament the availability of funds for the guarantee of food and protection of thousands of people affected by the violence of the group linked to the Islamic State, in Cabo Delgado. At least 800,000 have been displaced by this conflict, which began in 2017.

"The U.S. Government remains committed to supporting the government of Mozambique and the people of Mozambique in responding to this complex crisis," said U.S. Ambassador Deis W. Hearne, following a meeting with WFP Executive Director David Beasley.

Seeds of peace

This, Hearne said, "includes helping the many Mozambican families and communities who have taken in their neighbors, displaced from their homes due to the violence in Cabo Delgado."

Beasley said that by "saving lives of families affected by conflict, we are planting the seeds of peace. But this is not enough."

"We need to work more together to ensure the long-term recovery and well-being of people, helping them move on and giving them hope for a better future," the head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning agency-2020 appealed.

The amount donated by the United States, the Embassy note says, will be used primarily to provide emergency food assistance to at least 116,500 Mozambicans displaced by violence in Cabo Delgado and nutritional support for children.

In Sofala and Manica, part of the amount will fund activities of the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and emergency food assistance to more than 30,000 Mozambicans affected by cyclones.

The United States government is the largest WFP donor in Mozambique, with a total of $130 million in contributions since 2018.