Mozambique will receive $5.6 million disbursed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote food security and resilience in places devastated by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

"This additional funding is provided under the Bank's African Emergency Food Production Facility to build the resilience of Mozambique's food systems in response to the current global food crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine," reads an AfDB note.

The amount will serve to strengthen farmers' agricultural capacity through the provision of certified climate-adapted seeds, fertilizers, and extension services, but should also support the definition of strategies to strengthen national institutions with laboratory equipment.

"The additional financing is aimed at maize, soy bean and sesame production. The Bank also expects complementary funding of $5 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $2 million from the Nordic Development Fund," the press release said.

In 2019, ADB approved $47 million in support to help the country restore livelihoods and rebuild infrastructure devastated by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth.

Cyclone Idai hit the central provinces of Mozambique in March 2019, causing more than 600 deaths. A few months later, in April of the same year, Mozambique was again affected by a cyclone (the Kenneth), which killed 45 people in the north of the country.

The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the most severe in memory in Mozambique: a total of 714 people died, including 648 victims of the two cyclones.

Mozambique is considered one of the countries most affected by climate change in the world.